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Home / Critical illness cover / - Alzheimer's Disease
Background information
There are now over 700,000 people with Dementia.
By the year 2010, if the current rate of growth continues, this figure will rise to 850,000.
(Alzheimer's Society, 2002)
Definition
Alzheimer’s disease having progressed to the extent that continual supervision and the assistance of another person is required. The diagnosis must be supported by evidence of progressive loss of ability to:
- remember;
- reason; and
- perceive, understand, express and give effect to ideas.
The condition must be irreversible with no reasonable prospect of there ever being any improvement.
What does this mean?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and degenerative disease. The nerve cells in the brain deteriorate and the brain shrinks. The symptoms can include a severe loss of memory and concentration but there is an overall decline in all mental faculties.
NEWS
'Research into arterial plaques may see stokes and heart attacks reduced'
17 March 2008 17:29:50
New research into the development of plaques found in arteries, which can cause strokes and heart attacks, may help to see the illnesses reduced, scientists have claimed.
Atherosclerosis, a disease whereby plaques build up on the inside of arteries causing them to narrow and harden, is the main cause of heart attacks and stroke - and may affect the life insurance policies of sufferers.
Medical News Today reports that scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, have found that atherosclerosis development does not follow a linear progression, but rather first develops slowly and then speeds up, forming advanced plagues within ten weeks.
The plaques can therefore be prevented by reducing levels of bad LDL cholesterol - which is thought to promote arterial disease - before rapid expansion begins, the scientists concluded.
Some 37 atherosclerosis genes that respond to the lowering of LDL cholesterol and prevent the formation of advanced plaques were identified by the researchers.
Johan Björkegren, who led the research, explained: "Previously, much atherosclerosis research was focused on identifying ways to stabilise the most dangerous plaques in order to prevent them rupturing and causing myocardial infarction or stroke.
"The time when individual genes or gene pathways were thought to explain the development of complex common diseases, such as atherosclerosis, is past. We now have enough tools and knowledge of systems biology to take on the total complexity of these diseases."
The study was published in the March 14th issue of PLoS Genetic.
Direct Life and Pensions Services Ltd are one of the UK's leading providers of life insurance, term life assurance, mortgage protection, critical illness and life insurance advice online
Sleep patterns linked to obesity
17 December 2007 13:20:58
A range of life insurance and critical illness cover difficulties could be avoided by getting between eight and nine hours sleep a night, it has been suggested.
Scientists at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine have found that individuals who do so are most likely to achieve an optimal weight.
Research published in today's Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine also revealed that women with clinical medical problems are more likely to be obese if they have either very long or short sleep times.
The study singled out smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes and young age as other factors featuring in the obesity lottery.
"Whether or not manipulating sleep time in adults will prevent additional weight gain or facilitate weight loss is unclear," remarked Kenneth Nugent of Texas Tech University.
He added: "This question will require therapeutic trials in which sleep hygiene is addressed during weight loss studies."
Although the study did not clarify the relationship between sleep and weight in men, it put forward obstructive sleep apnea as one potential reason for the link.
The condition refers to overweight people struggling to breathe because fat in their throats blocks their airways, leading scientists to conclude that obesity affects their sleep patterns, rather than vice versa.
Direct Life and Pensions Services Ltd are one of the UK's leading providers of life insurance, term life assurance, mortgage protection, critical illness and life insurance advice online
Boost in critical illness payouts
02 October 2007 14:35:32
Norwich Union has reported an increase in its critical illness payouts.
The insurance provider attributed the 11 per cent boost to a series of initiatives launched in the last two years.
The initiatives were intended to reduce the number of people who do not disclose existing medical conditions on their protection application forms.
Willie Mowatt, director of risk products for Norwich Union, commented that non-disclosure is a huge concern throughout the insurance industry.
"By taking the time and care that protection applications deserve and providing their insurer with full, accurate medical information, customers can be sure that they have a valid policy which will provide a payment in the event of a legitimate claim," he said.
As well as introducing a telephone line staffed by nurses to help people fill in their claim forms, the firm included leaflets in application packs which outlined the importance of giving insurers full medical details.
The insurer said 86 per cent of all critical illness claims made during the first six months of this year were paid, compared with only 75 per cent in 2005.
Critical illness policies typically pay out to people who develop certain medical conditions and illnesses, such as heart attacks, cancer and multiple sclerosis.
Direct Life and Pensions Services Ltd are one of the UK's leading providers of life insurance, term life assurance, mortgage protection, and critical illnesslife insurance policies online.
17 March 2008 17:29:50
New research into the development of plaques found in arteries, which can cause strokes and heart attacks, may help to see the illnesses reduced, scientists have claimed.
Atherosclerosis, a disease whereby plaques build up on the inside of arteries causing them to narrow and harden, is the main cause of heart attacks and stroke - and may affect the life insurance policies of sufferers.
Medical News Today reports that scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, have found that atherosclerosis development does not follow a linear progression, but rather first develops slowly and then speeds up, forming advanced plagues within ten weeks.
The plaques can therefore be prevented by reducing levels of bad LDL cholesterol - which is thought to promote arterial disease - before rapid expansion begins, the scientists concluded.
Some 37 atherosclerosis genes that respond to the lowering of LDL cholesterol and prevent the formation of advanced plaques were identified by the researchers.
Johan Björkegren, who led the research, explained: "Previously, much atherosclerosis research was focused on identifying ways to stabilise the most dangerous plaques in order to prevent them rupturing and causing myocardial infarction or stroke.
"The time when individual genes or gene pathways were thought to explain the development of complex common diseases, such as atherosclerosis, is past. We now have enough tools and knowledge of systems biology to take on the total complexity of these diseases."
The study was published in the March 14th issue of PLoS Genetic.
Direct Life and Pensions Services Ltd are one of the UK's leading providers of life insurance, term life assurance, mortgage protection, critical illness and life insurance advice online
17 December 2007 13:20:58
A range of life insurance and critical illness cover difficulties could be avoided by getting between eight and nine hours sleep a night, it has been suggested.
Scientists at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine have found that individuals who do so are most likely to achieve an optimal weight.
Research published in today's Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine also revealed that women with clinical medical problems are more likely to be obese if they have either very long or short sleep times.
The study singled out smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes and young age as other factors featuring in the obesity lottery.
"Whether or not manipulating sleep time in adults will prevent additional weight gain or facilitate weight loss is unclear," remarked Kenneth Nugent of Texas Tech University.
He added: "This question will require therapeutic trials in which sleep hygiene is addressed during weight loss studies."
Although the study did not clarify the relationship between sleep and weight in men, it put forward obstructive sleep apnea as one potential reason for the link.
The condition refers to overweight people struggling to breathe because fat in their throats blocks their airways, leading scientists to conclude that obesity affects their sleep patterns, rather than vice versa.
Direct Life and Pensions Services Ltd are one of the UK's leading providers of life insurance, term life assurance, mortgage protection, critical illness and life insurance advice online
02 October 2007 14:35:32
Norwich Union has reported an increase in its critical illness payouts.
The insurance provider attributed the 11 per cent boost to a series of initiatives launched in the last two years.
The initiatives were intended to reduce the number of people who do not disclose existing medical conditions on their protection application forms.
Willie Mowatt, director of risk products for Norwich Union, commented that non-disclosure is a huge concern throughout the insurance industry.
"By taking the time and care that protection applications deserve and providing their insurer with full, accurate medical information, customers can be sure that they have a valid policy which will provide a payment in the event of a legitimate claim," he said.
As well as introducing a telephone line staffed by nurses to help people fill in their claim forms, the firm included leaflets in application packs which outlined the importance of giving insurers full medical details.
The insurer said 86 per cent of all critical illness claims made during the first six months of this year were paid, compared with only 75 per cent in 2005.
Critical illness policies typically pay out to people who develop certain medical conditions and illnesses, such as heart attacks, cancer and multiple sclerosis.
Direct Life and Pensions Services Ltd are one of the UK's leading providers of life insurance, term life assurance, mortgage protection, and critical illnesslife insurance policies online.