Disability News and Research

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VA to develop fully automated, online system for handling disability compensation claims

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today plans to develop a fully automated, online system for handling Veterans' disability compensation claims. More than a simple digitization of existing paper-based claims, the new system is part of VA's modernization of the end-to-end processing workflow. Automation will substantially reduce processing time and increase accuracy while simplifying the way that Veterans interact with the claims process.

3 Jul 2010

Researchers identify gene abnormality for most common congenital birth defect, clubfoot

Although clubfoot is one of the most common congenital birth defects, few genetic causes have been found. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found what they believe to be the most common cause of inherited clubfoot yet discovered.

2 Jul 2010

New and expectant moms do not discuss preterm birth with healthcare providers, shows survey

A new survey shows a majority of new and expectant moms have not discussed preterm birth with their healthcare providers, despite the fact that early prenatal care, including discussion about lifestyle habits and medical history, may give babies a better chance of a healthy, full-term birth. This new survey, titled SPEAKing About Preterm Birth, was conducted among moms and healthcare providers including obstetricians/gynecologists and maternal fetal medicine specialists, by the March of Dimes and BabyCenter, and sponsored by Ther-Rx Corporation.

1 Jul 2010

Researchers to study interventional endovascular therapy on symptoms and progression of MS

Buffalo medical researchers led by a team from the University at Buffalo Department of Neurosurgery, will embark on a landmark prospective randomized double-blinded study to test the safety and efficacy of interventional endovascular therapy -- dubbed "liberation treatment" -- on the symptoms and progression of Multiple Sclerosis.

1 Jul 2010

July 4th is approaching; ER departments are already beginning to treat firework injuries

In 2009, nearly 100 people in Illinois were rushed to hospitals with injuries caused by fireworks, according to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall (OSFM).

30 Jun 2010

Study: Near-normal glucose control does not delay risk of organ damage in diabetes patients

In people with longstanding type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for heart attack and stroke, lowering blood sugar to near-normal levels did not delay the combined risk of diabetic damage to kidneys, eyes, or nerves, but did delay several other signs of diabetic damage, a study has found. The intensive glucose treatment was compared with standard glucose control.

30 Jun 2010

Preliminary findings show RA drug reduces brain damage in stroke patients

A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis also reduces the damage a stroke inflicts on the brain according to lab research and preliminary findings from a clinical trial of stroke patients. The results open the door for a larger clinical study to refine the drug anakinra's use as an effective therapy for victims of stroke.

From The University of Manchester 30 Jun 2010

News round up: UniCare will drop health coverage for Virginians; Hawaii concerned about lack of physicians

The Washington Post: "About 3,000 Virginians who have health insurance through UniCare, a private insurer, will lose that coverage Jan. 1, a UniCare spokesman said Monday. Most live in Northern Virginia and get their coverage through the individual market, officials said.

30 Jun 2010

Chronic migraine sufferers experience greater LPT in workplace

A new analysis from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study, one of the largest longitudinal studies of headache, indicates that employees suffering from Chronic Migraine (CM) experience increased lost productive time (LPT) in the workplace.

29 Jun 2010

Millions of cancer survivors are parenting young children, says Wake Forest researcher

In the first ever published estimate of the percentage and number of cancer survivors who live with their minor children, a team led by a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researcher found that millions of cancer survivors are parenting young children, highlighting a group of survivors with very special needs.

29 Jun 2010

Rubella epidemic played a major role in shifting public attitudes toward abortion laws

Ten years before the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion - which likely will be a focus of Senate confirmation questions for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan next week - German measles probably played the biggest part in starting to shift public attitudes about the criminal abortion laws, University of Illinois historian Leslie J. Reagan says in a new book.

29 Jun 2010

ITMTX treatment effective in late stages/progressive forms of MS: Study

The Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York (MSRCNY), together with the International Multiple Sclerosis Management Practice (IMSMP), today announced that results from its Intrathecal Methotrexate Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis study have been published in this month's issue of Journal of Neurology. This study reports on the feasibility of using intrathecal methotrexate (ITMTX) in treatment unresponsive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with progressive forms of the disease.

28 Jun 2010

People in Medicare's two-year disability waiting period continue to wait

The Oregonian: Sue Sherman of Southwest Portland was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and "joined nearly 2 million disabled Americans -- at least 15,000 in Oregon -- who fall into a twilight with the first monthly Social Security disability payment, for they then must wait two years to become eligible for Medicare." Many of them exhaust their savings "on the care necessary to reach a diagnosis and now cannot get private insurance."

28 Jun 2010

Cartilage loss plays a role in development of OA, study says

A recent study determined that bone area predicted the development of medial (inner side) and lateral (outer side) knee cartilage damage and loss of medial cartilage volume. Subchondral bone mineral density (BMD) was associated with medial defect development but not cartilage loss. Researchers believe subchondral bone changes and loss of cartilage contribute to the development of osteoarthritis (OA).

28 Jun 2010

CM sufferers experience worse stigma than EM sufferers: Research

Researchers looking for the first time at how migraine sufferers experience the stigmatizing effects of their disease show that chronic migraine sufferers experience worse stigma than episodic migraine sufferers and more than those with other neurological diseases including stroke, epilepsy and MS.

28 Jun 2010

St. Mary Medical Center opens new outpatient center for chronic wound treatment

High Desert residents suffering from hard-to-heal wounds now have greater resources to help heal their wounds and get their lives back. St. Mary Medical Center, a 190-bed acute care hospital in the High Desert of Southern California, announced today the opening of its Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine.

28 Jun 2010

Athersys, CSCRM and CWRU receive $1M to advance MultiStem therapy for SCI

Athersys, Inc. and its collaborators, including the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and Case Western Reserve University, announced today that they have been awarded $1 million through the Ohio Third Frontier Biomedical Program to support research into the treatment of spinal cord injury with MultiStem, Athersys' proprietary stem cell product candidate.

25 Jun 2010

U.S. District Court Judge approves amended settlement in WTC litigation

At the conclusion of a hearing today, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York signed an order approving the amended settlement reached among the WTC Captive Insurance Company (the "WTC Captive"), the City of New York, the contractors the City hired, their subcontractors, and attorneys for over 10,000 plaintiffs alleging injuries from the WTC site operations.

24 Jun 2010

Sleep quality is poor in soldiers with chronic headaches, find researchers

Some 19 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq have migraine and migraine is suspected in another 17 percent. While prevalence of migraine among the U.S. military is well documented , little is known about sleep quality in soldiers with chronic headaches including post-traumatic headache and migraine.

23 Jun 2010

Tentative deal raises cigarette taxes in NY; Many Iowa hospitals close inpatient psychiatric units

Harvard Medical School, which has suffered financially due in part to a sharp decline in Harvard University's legendary endowment, has successfully negotiated a deal in which Boston's major teaching hospitals will contribute $36 million to the school over three years. The hospital money is a small portion of the medical school's $580 million annual budget, but it may represent a larger turning point in the unusual relationship between the country's top medical school and its prestigious hospital partners.

22 Jun 2010

Disability News and Research

VA to develop fully automated, online system for handling disability compensation claims

Researchers identify gene abnormality for most common congenital birth defect, clubfoot

New and expectant moms do not discuss preterm birth with healthcare providers, shows survey

Researchers to study interventional endovascular therapy on symptoms and progression of MS

July 4th is approaching; ER departments are already beginning to treat firework injuries

Study: Near-normal glucose control does not delay risk of organ damage in diabetes patients

Preliminary findings show RA drug reduces brain damage in stroke patients

News round up: UniCare will drop health coverage for Virginians; Hawaii concerned about lack of physicians

Chronic migraine sufferers experience greater LPT in workplace

Millions of cancer survivors are parenting young children, says Wake Forest researcher

Rubella epidemic played a major role in shifting public attitudes toward abortion laws

ITMTX treatment effective in late stages/progressive forms of MS: Study

People in Medicare's two-year disability waiting period continue to wait

Cartilage loss plays a role in development of OA, study says

CM sufferers experience worse stigma than EM sufferers: Research

St. Mary Medical Center opens new outpatient center for chronic wound treatment

Athersys, CSCRM and CWRU receive $1M to advance MultiStem therapy for SCI

U.S. District Court Judge approves amended settlement in WTC litigation

Sleep quality is poor in soldiers with chronic headaches, find researchers

Tentative deal raises cigarette taxes in NY; Many Iowa hospitals close inpatient psychiatric units

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (2nd Edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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