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Reliance on assistive devices can affect everyday life in multiple ways: Study

Obese older adults are more likely to use walkers, canes and other mobility devices at a younger age, and may run the risk of using them incorrectly, according to new research from Purdue University.

29 Jul 2010

Quest Diagnostics' Fragile X Syndrome test receives New York State health department approval

An accurate, faster testing option to identify female carriers and other patients with genetic abnormalities that cause Fragile X Syndrome is now available to physicians in all fifty states with the recent approval in New York. Fragile X is the leading cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common known single gene cause of autism.

From Quest Diagnostics 29 Jul 2010

Assurant second-quarter net operating income increases 53% to $152.2 million

Assurant, Inc., a premier provider of specialty insurance and insurance-related products and services, today reported results for the second quarter and first six months of 2010.

29 Jul 2010

Survey provides insight on roles, responsibilities for improved, sustainable workplace health

Employers should be active partners in the overall health of their employees and can play a strong role by encouraging them to take responsibility for their own health. While the thirteenth edition of The sanofi-aventis Healthcare Survey suggests that no employer or employee would dispute the return-on-investment from benefit plans such as prescription drugs, dental care, or employee assistance programs, improved and sustainable health in the workplace can only be achieved by a deeper commitment to early disease detection, preventative care, and wellness in general.

28 Jul 2010

Aetna reports operating earnings of $450.2M for second-quarter 2010

Aetna today announced second-quarter 2010 operating earnings of $450.2 million, or $1.05 per share, an increase of 54 percent over 2009. The increase was largely the result of a higher Commercial underwriting margin from favorable prior-period reserve development and improved underlying performance, partially offset by lower Commercial Insured membership.

28 Jul 2010

Alcohol consumption reduces risk of rheumatoid arthritis: Study

Drinking alcohol may reduce the severity of rheumatoid arthritis according to new research published today. It is the first time that this effect has been shown in humans. The study also finds that alcohol consumption reduces the risk of developing the disease, confirming the results of previous studies.

28 Jul 2010

Obese seniors more likely to suffer from disabilities: UTMB study

Thanks to rising obesity rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, elderly people there are becoming more likely to suffer from disabilities, according to a paper recently published by University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

28 Jul 2010

Abortion, other issues continue to stoke the politics surrounding health reform

Politico reports that "the issues of health care and abortion" are making the campaign tough for some Democrats. Among the vulnerable Democrats are Reps. Kathleen Dahlkemper, D-Pa.; Steve Driehaus, D-Ohio; and Indiana Reps. Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth, who is running for Senate. "'We are going to do everything we can to point out that Democrats who said they were pro-life caved on the big one,' said Marilyn Musgrave, a former Colorado congresswoman.

28 Jul 2010

20% of patients demonstrate decrease in body weight, BMI after knee or hip replacement

A Mount Sinai School of Medicine study has found that patients often exhibit a significant decrease in weight and body mass index (BMI) after undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery (arthroplasty). The study is the first of its type to correct for the annual increase in BMI typically found in North Americans between the ages of 29 to 73 years. The study was recently published in Orthopedics.

27 Jul 2010

President Obama launches new series of television, radio PSAs to mark the 20th anniversary of ADA

To coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act today, President Obama is joining the Ad Council and the American Association of People with Disabilities to launch a new series of television and radio public service advertisements. The ads, which feature the President, celebrate the progress that has been made during the last two decades and remind the public that there is still a lot of work to do so that all Americans have equal opportunity and full participation in this country.

27 Jul 2010

Braun Corporation presents key themes, recommendations discussed at symposium for the disabled

The Braun Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vans, ramps and wheelchair lifts, today published key insights from a symposium hosted recently in Washington, D.C. titled "ADA 20/20: Looking Back, Looking Forward on Mobility." In anticipation of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the panel of key thought leaders from government, medicine, academia and business exchanged insights on current thinking around future mobility needs for Americans with disabilities.

27 Jul 2010

Americans with Disabilities Act turns 20

Several news outlets note the 20th anniversary Monday of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

27 Jul 2010

Racial, ethnic disparities remain a challenge for patients in the U.S. health care system: ACP

Racial and ethnic disparities remain a challenge for patients in the U.S. health care system, the American College of Physicians said in an updated paper released today. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, Updated 2010, an update to a policy paper that was originally released in 2003, outlines recommendations on how to close the gap between racial and ethnic minority patients and their white counterparts.

27 Jul 2010

Today's OpEds: Health reform and long-term care; Health care incentives; Reasons for optimism or repeal and replace?

Our system of long-term care does not provide adequate or coordinated human services and medical treatment for our growing aging population. … Thanks to a provision of the new health care law known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program, tomorrow's continuum of care does not have to be so unforgiving. For the first time, a voluntary public insurance program will be available to help adults and families pay for long-term care services (Bruce Chernof, 7/23).

26 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 26, 2010

Today's headlines include news about the politics of implementing the new health reform law as well as the ADA's 20th anniversary.

26 Jul 2010

Asuragen reports collaborative study results of advanced PCR-based molecular profiling of FMR1 gene

Asuragen, Inc. announced today the results from two collaborative studies, one with the University of California Davis M.I.N.D. Institute and another with Rush University Medical Center, that demonstrate comprehensive molecular profiling of the Fragile X Mental Retardation (FMR1) gene using advanced PCR-based methods.

26 Jul 2010

Annette Bowling of Albany awarded 2010 Pathfinder Award for Outstanding Service

The Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission has awarded the 2010 Pathfinder Award for Outstanding Service to Annette Bowling of Albany, GA. The Pathfinder Award recognizes Georgians who have performed exemplary service to the Commission and to the disability community in Georgia.

26 Jul 2010

Study explores perceptions, attitudes and awareness of developmental disabilities among general public

Just days before the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a new statewide survey reveals that Georgians have little exposure to persons with disabilities and understanding of the daily challenges they face.

26 Jul 2010

HHS Secretary announces 15 awards to support Preventive Medicine Residency Programs

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced 15 awards totaling $9 million to support Preventive Medicine Residency Programs at accredited schools of public health, schools of medicine, and hospitals. Of these funds, nearly $6.7 million is part of the $200 million appropriated to HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to address the nation's health care workforce shortages.

26 Jul 2010

First patient enrolled in Phase 3 SyNAPSe study of BHR-100 for TBI

BHR Pharma, LLC announced today that the first patient has been enrolled in its SyNAPSe study, a global, Phase 3, pivotal trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of its intravenous progesterone infusion product (BHR-100) as a neuroprotective agent for treating severe (Glasgow Coma Scale scores of 4-8) traumatic brain injury patients.

23 Jul 2010

Disability News and Research

Reliance on assistive devices can affect everyday life in multiple ways: Study

Quest Diagnostics' Fragile X Syndrome test receives New York State health department approval

Assurant second-quarter net operating income increases 53% to $152.2 million

Survey provides insight on roles, responsibilities for improved, sustainable workplace health

Aetna reports operating earnings of $450.2M for second-quarter 2010

Alcohol consumption reduces risk of rheumatoid arthritis: Study

Obese seniors more likely to suffer from disabilities: UTMB study

Abortion, other issues continue to stoke the politics surrounding health reform

20% of patients demonstrate decrease in body weight, BMI after knee or hip replacement

President Obama launches new series of television, radio PSAs to mark the 20th anniversary of ADA

Braun Corporation presents key themes, recommendations discussed at symposium for the disabled

Americans with Disabilities Act turns 20

Racial, ethnic disparities remain a challenge for patients in the U.S. health care system: ACP

Today's OpEds: Health reform and long-term care; Health care incentives; Reasons for optimism or repeal and replace?

First Edition: July 26, 2010

Asuragen reports collaborative study results of advanced PCR-based molecular profiling of FMR1 gene

Annette Bowling of Albany awarded 2010 Pathfinder Award for Outstanding Service

Study explores perceptions, attitudes and awareness of developmental disabilities among general public

HHS Secretary announces 15 awards to support Preventive Medicine Residency Programs

First patient enrolled in Phase 3 SyNAPSe study of BHR-100 for TBI

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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