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Home / Critical illness cover / - Blindness
Background information
In total, over 1 million people are visually impaired (ie registerable).
Of these, 194,000 are registered as blind and 160,000 as partially sighted.
(Office of National Statistics, 2002 - figures as at 31 March 1997)
Definition
Total permanent and irreversible loss of all sight in both eyes.
What does this mean?
Sight can be lost because of an accident or illness. In order for a claim to be paid, the loss of sight must be total, permanent and irreversible. Therefore, a claim would not be paid if the loss was only partial or was a temporary condition.
NEWS
Parkinson's disease conference held
16 October 2007 16:13:02
Critical illness
cover customers suffering from Parkinson's disease are being kept up-to-date on research into the condition.
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) presented its latest findings at a two-day conference attended by a number of professionals from the field.
Several experts gave presentations at the event in New York which was open to anyone affected by the condition, from patients and caregivers to researchers and health professionals.
"With a disease like Parkinson's, where everyone's case is unique, it is crucial to realise how it affects day-to-day living," commented Lucien Cote, professor of neurology at Columbia University.
Ahead of the conference, sponsored by research-driven pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim and other industry leaders, Ms Cote pointed out that it would focus on issues making a genuine difference to the lives of those with Parkinson's disease.
In August, Boehringer Ingelheim revealed the preliminary result of a study of patients with Parkinson's disease, with the trial confirming the prevalence of depression in patients with the condition.
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.
'Diabetics who miss insulin shots face greater risk of death'
29 February 2008 17:17:28
Female diabetes sufferers who do not take prescribed doses of insulin have a much a higher risk of dying from the disease - a finding which could affect the life insurance policies of sufferers.
Research by scientists at the Joslin Diabetes Centre in America showed that the risk of death increased three-fold for women with type 1 diabetes who reported taking less insulin than prescribed, compared with those who did not miss insulin shots, reports Medical News Today.
The 11-year study, which tracked 234 women is one of the first to show an increased risk of mortality as well as higher rates of kidney and foot problems in those who restricted their insulin intake.
In addition, the average age of death for those who restricted insulin intake was lower than those who did not - 45 years of age as compared to 58 years for those who did not restrict.
The new research appears in the March issue of Diabetes Care.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body is no longer able to produce insulin, a hormone which allows the body to store calories for energy.
Meanwhile, research in the UK recently revealed that more than half a million people could be unaware that they have diabetes or are at risk of developing the condition.
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
Smoking ban 'saves lives'
30 June 2008 17:58:53
New research has revealed that the smoking ban, designed to help protect people from secondhand smoke may have helped 400,000 people give up the habit.
The research revealed that smoking fell by 5.5 per cent in the nine months after the ban, compared with just 9.9 per cent in the previous nine months.
Professor Robert West, who carried out the research at the Health Behaviour Research Unit, explained his surprise at the impact of the ban.
He said: "These figures show the largest fall in the number of smokers on record. The effect has been as large in all social groups - poor as well as rich."
According to Jean King, director of tobacco control at Cancer Research UK, the results of the survey illustrate the fact that the ban is "saving lives".
There are now calls from tobacco pressure group ASH to introduce further measures to stop people smoking. Proposals include plans to ban people smoking in their own cars if their children are in there and removing all cigarette vending machines.
Primary lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK and 33,000 people die of the disease each year.
16 October 2007 16:13:02
Critical illness
cover customers suffering from Parkinson's disease are being kept up-to-date on research into the condition.
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) presented its latest findings at a two-day conference attended by a number of professionals from the field.
Several experts gave presentations at the event in New York which was open to anyone affected by the condition, from patients and caregivers to researchers and health professionals.
"With a disease like Parkinson's, where everyone's case is unique, it is crucial to realise how it affects day-to-day living," commented Lucien Cote, professor of neurology at Columbia University.
Ahead of the conference, sponsored by research-driven pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim and other industry leaders, Ms Cote pointed out that it would focus on issues making a genuine difference to the lives of those with Parkinson's disease.
In August, Boehringer Ingelheim revealed the preliminary result of a study of patients with Parkinson's disease, with the trial confirming the prevalence of depression in patients with the condition.
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.
29 February 2008 17:17:28
Female diabetes sufferers who do not take prescribed doses of insulin have a much a higher risk of dying from the disease - a finding which could affect the life insurance policies of sufferers.
Research by scientists at the Joslin Diabetes Centre in America showed that the risk of death increased three-fold for women with type 1 diabetes who reported taking less insulin than prescribed, compared with those who did not miss insulin shots, reports Medical News Today.
The 11-year study, which tracked 234 women is one of the first to show an increased risk of mortality as well as higher rates of kidney and foot problems in those who restricted their insulin intake.
In addition, the average age of death for those who restricted insulin intake was lower than those who did not - 45 years of age as compared to 58 years for those who did not restrict.
The new research appears in the March issue of Diabetes Care.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body is no longer able to produce insulin, a hormone which allows the body to store calories for energy.
Meanwhile, research in the UK recently revealed that more than half a million people could be unaware that they have diabetes or are at risk of developing the condition.
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
30 June 2008 17:58:53
New research has revealed that the smoking ban, designed to help protect people from secondhand smoke may have helped 400,000 people give up the habit.
The research revealed that smoking fell by 5.5 per cent in the nine months after the ban, compared with just 9.9 per cent in the previous nine months.
Professor Robert West, who carried out the research at the Health Behaviour Research Unit, explained his surprise at the impact of the ban.
He said: "These figures show the largest fall in the number of smokers on record. The effect has been as large in all social groups - poor as well as rich."
According to Jean King, director of tobacco control at Cancer Research UK, the results of the survey illustrate the fact that the ban is "saving lives".
There are now calls from tobacco pressure group ASH to introduce further measures to stop people smoking. Proposals include plans to ban people smoking in their own cars if their children are in there and removing all cigarette vending machines.
Primary lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK and 33,000 people die of the disease each year.