Archive for July 27th, 2012
Census data show prevalence of disabilities on the rise
July 27th, 2012 | 
Author: U.S. Census data released Wednesday show 56.7 million people reported having a disability in 2010, up by 2.2 million people since 2005. The data also show the percentage of individuals with impairments remained flat at about 1 in 5 Americans, while 1.7 million children had an intellectual or developmental disability.
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Medicaid expansion in U.S. states found to cut death rates
Adult mortality rates are lower in states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility since 2000 compared with states that did not, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found. The states with expanded programs also saw lower percentages of uninsured residents, lower rates of people who delayed care because of costs and higher rates of people reporting "excellent" or "very good" health.
Medicaid cuts being implemented or considered in 13 states
Thirteen states are scaling back Medicaid benefits, cutting reimbursements to health care providers, adding fees, raising premiums or restricting eligibility in an effort to balance budgets.
Family history is strongest risk factor for Parkinson’s disease
People related to someone with Parkinson's disease are more than three times as likely to develop the condition themselves than those unrelated to a Parkinson's patient, according to a study published in the Annals of Neurology. Aside from family history, researchers found 19 factors significantly linked to an increase or decrease in the risk for developing Parkinson's.
Has the Meaning of Nothing Changed?
…the question Stephen Hawking once asked but couldn't answer, “Why does the universe go through all the bother of existing?”
We still don’t know. Let’s not pretend we do.
Chicago Tribune Staff Demands Answers from Editor over Journatic
The editorial staff of the Chicago Tribune has written to its editor, Gerould Kern, demanding answers about the company's continued relationship with under-fire content provider Journatic.
The letter says the paper's code of ethics "makes it clear that it is a firing offense to engage in the kinds of practices that Journatic has engaged in again and again. Why then is Tribune seeking to salvage its relationship with Journatic when as a matter of policy it declares zero tolerance for such behavior?"
Efficacy of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression Confirmed in New Study
In one of the first studies to look at transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in real-world clinical practice settings, researchers at Butler Hospital, along with colleagues across the U.S., confirmed that TMS is an effective treatment for patients with depression who are unable to find symptom relief through antidepressant medications.