Disability News and Research

RSS

Toronto Rehab scientists develop SoleSensor to help older people stay on their feet

In an aging society, falling is a growing problem. Just one bad fall can mark the start of a downward spiral in an older person's health and quality of life. The cost of treating falls also puts a heavy burden on the health care system. Toronto Rehab scientists have developed a simple footwear insole called SoleSensor(TM), which has proven to improve balance and prevent falls.

10 Feb 2010

Racial gaps persist in women's heart-health awareness

Racial gaps exist in women's heart-health awareness, women's knowledge of heart attack warning signs requires attention and nearly half of women report they would not call 9-1-1 if they were having heart attack symptoms, according to new research published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association.

10 Feb 2010

Laser Spine Institute recognized as ‘Medical Partner of the Year’

This year, Gridiron Greats recognized LSI at the event as Medical Partner of the Year. LSI's medical director Dr. Michael Perry and CEO Bill Horne accepted the award.

10 Feb 2010

APA releases proposed draft diagnostic criteria for DSM-5

The American Psychiatric Association today released the proposed draft diagnostic criteria for the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The draft criteria represent content changes under consideration for DSM, which is the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health and other health professionals, and is used for diagnostic and research purposes.

10 Feb 2010

Health debate travails boost lobbying firms

Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., won an upset election last month that has reshaped the health debate and that new dynamic could be a boon for lobbying firms, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Law Review columnist writes. "The thousands of lobbyists on and off Capitol Hill who labor on behalf of health-industry clients can now count on at least a few more monthly retainers.

9 Feb 2010

Study highlights the importance of effective therapy to fight depression

People with depression generate higher absentee and disability costs on the job -- even when they are treated with antidepressants, according to a study published today in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

9 Feb 2010

High BP may predict dementia in older adults with cognitive impairment

High blood pressure appears to predict the progression to dementia in older adults with impaired executive functions (ability to organize thoughts and make decisions) but not in those with memory dysfunction, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Feb 2010

Researchers study link between premature births and cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) has increased in infants born prematurely in the United States, according to data presented by researchers from Loyola University Health System (LUHS). These findings were reported at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Chicago.

9 Feb 2010

Poor handgrip strength linked to premature mortality, disability and other health complications in older people

Poor or declining handgrip strength in the oldest old is associated with poor survival and may be used as a tool to assess mortality, found an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj091278.pdf. The fastest growing segment of the elderly population is the group older than 85 years, classified as the oldest old.

9 Feb 2010

America’s wounded warriors to march on Capitol Hill: MOPH

The Military Order of the Purple Heart is stepping up to the call from Congress for input on how best to resolve the issues most important to the nation’s veterans. America’s wounded warriors from across the country will converge on Washington, D.C. during 8-12 February, 2010 to meet with their state’s Senators and Representatives to educate them on these important issues

8 Feb 2010

Veterans battle not yet over: Red tape in the complicated military and VA health care and disability systems

Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, released a revealing new report highlighting the countless bureaucratic roadblocks, lengthy waits for care, and complicated disability systems facing wounded veterans.

6 Feb 2010

10 helpful tips to safeguard Alzheimer's patients

An ID bracelet, like the one offered through the Alzheimer's Association's MedicAlert + Safe Return program, helps the police or a Good Samaritan get a missing person back home safely or medical attention.

5 Feb 2010

AFGE provides solutions to tackle VA claims backlog

John McCray, a Rating Veterans Service Representative (RVSR) at the Veterans Benefits Administration, (VBA) in the Los Angeles Regional Office, testified on behalf of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) at a hearing held before the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The hearing was aimed at updating Congress on the implementation on the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act, P.L. 110-389.

5 Feb 2010

Hope for back pain: Minimally invasive facet arthrodesis and spinal cord stimulation

Results from the first prospective study of minimally invasive facet arthrodesis and long-term data on spinal cord stimulation demonstrate the viability of these options to achieve pain relief in patients with various back pain conditions. The studies were presented today at the American Academy of Pain Medicine's 26th Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX.

5 Feb 2010

Scholarships for Special Needs Life Quality Plans available to underserved families

The Training, Education & Research Institute (TERI) led International Association for Life Quality (IALQ) – a national leader dedicated to identifying and removing barriers to a quality life for those with developmental disabilities – announced scholarships for Special Needs Life Quality Plans™ will be available to underserved families with a child with autism or other developmental disability.

5 Feb 2010

HSS supports Arthritis Foundation's educational campaign for osteoarthritis

Hospital for Special Surgery, (HSS), a world leader in orthopedics and rheumatology, today announced its support of the Arthritis Foundation and Ad Council newly launched campaign, "Moving is the Best Medicine," to raise awareness of osteoarthritis, increase public health education and support breakthrough research.

5 Feb 2010

Porter Adventist Hospital receives certification as Advanced Primary Stroke Center

Porter Adventist Hospital has received certification as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Certificate of Distinction, received in December after an on-site review in the fall, recognizes the exceptional efforts the Porter Stroke Program has made with a cohesive, multidisciplinary approach to foster better outcomes for stroke patients.

5 Feb 2010

LDDI releases biomonitoring report on environmental neurotoxins in health affected community

The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI) today released the first-ever biomonitoring report identifying toxic chemical pollution in people from the learning and developmental disability community.

5 Feb 2010

Lux Biosciences files NDA with FDA and MAA with EMA for approval of voclosporin

Isotechnika Pharma Inc. today announced that its partner, Lux Biosciences, Inc., has filed a New Drug Application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a Market Authorization Application (MAA) with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for voclosporin, under the proposed brand name, LUVENIQ(TM).

4 Feb 2010

CIGNA reports net income of $330M for fourth quarter 2009

CIGNA Corporation today reported shareholders’ net income of $330 million, or $1.19 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2009 compared with a shareholders’ net loss of $209 million, or $0.77 per share, for the same period last year.

4 Feb 2010