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Getting Technical
Home / Critical illness cover / - Dementia
Definition
Dementia 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 the 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?
Dementia is a disorder of the mental process and results in loss of memory and impairment of behaviour and recognition. There is no cure and the cause is unknown. Definite diagnosis must be established via accepted standard medical tests and questionnaires.
NEWS
Sleep apnea sufferers more likely to have low blood oxygen during flights
20 May 2008 18:10:43
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients are more prone to suffering from low blood oxygen and high stress levels, which can lead to increased risk of heart failure, when travelling by aeroplane.
That is according to a new study carried out by Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Sydney, Australia which indicated that those with sleep apnea could need to have extra oxygen when flying.
The findings of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society in Toronto, Canada on Sunday, May 18th.
Led by Dr Leigh Seccombe, the research involved 22 OSA patients (who did not have lung disease) and ten healthy controls who sat in a flight simulator. Each of the participants was tested for their physiological responses and how much oxygen was circulating in their blood.
It was found that, if guidelines for patients with lung disease were followed, 11 of the 22 OSA patients would need extra oxygen while flying.
Commenting on their findings, the researchers concluded: "Patients with OSA, without lung disease, are more likely to develop significant hypoxemia [low blood oxygen] and have increased oxygen demands during flight. Ventilatory response was not impaired."
Heart op boy will die in two weeks without transplant
02 July 2008 17:03:39
A baby born with half a heart has just two weeks to live unless a donor can be found, doctors have told his parents.
Born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Theo Davies is currently on a life support machine which can only keep him alive for a short period of time, unless he has a transplant.
Talking about her desperation, Theo's mother Rebecca Giles, said: "People say 'Oh, it must be a nightmare for you'. But it's worse than that. I can't think of a worse situation to be in."
She continued: "Our child will die in two weeks unless we can find a heart donor. But to find another heart for Theo means that another child will die."
Theo has already had to endure five major operations since he was born and survived his heart stopping for an hour last week.
Surgeons in the US are about to undertake the first implantation of a Jarvik heart pump which, it is hoped, could help to solve a shortage of donor hearts.
One of the biggest difficulties facing people with heart problems is securing regular life insurance.
Broccoli could lower prostate cancer risk
22 August 2007 14:37:21
New research has suggested that eating broccoli and cauliflower could be another form of life insurance, after it was linked to a decrease in the risk of prostate cancer.
While they won't provide the same level of protection and peace of mind as a life cover policy or critical illness insurance, the vegetables were found to lower the likelihood of developing an aggressive form of the disease.
Researchers from the US National Cancer Institute and Cancer Care Ontario examined the effect of dark green and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower on a group of patients already diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The team - whose results are published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute - found that the risk of developing an aggressive form of the disease decreased by 52 per cent when a participants was served cauliflower weekly.
A similar portion of broccoli reduced the risk by 45 per cent.
Dr Victoria Kirsch, the study leader, commented: "Aggressive prostate cancer is biologically virulent and associated with poor prognosis.
"If the association that we observed is ultimately found to be causal, a possible means to reduce the burden of this disease may be primary prevention through increased consumption of broccoli, cauliflower, and possibly spinach."
Prostate cancer accounts for nearly one in four of all male cancer diagnoses in the UK.
20 May 2008 18:10:43
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients are more prone to suffering from low blood oxygen and high stress levels, which can lead to increased risk of heart failure, when travelling by aeroplane.
That is according to a new study carried out by Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Sydney, Australia which indicated that those with sleep apnea could need to have extra oxygen when flying.
The findings of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society in Toronto, Canada on Sunday, May 18th.
Led by Dr Leigh Seccombe, the research involved 22 OSA patients (who did not have lung disease) and ten healthy controls who sat in a flight simulator. Each of the participants was tested for their physiological responses and how much oxygen was circulating in their blood.
It was found that, if guidelines for patients with lung disease were followed, 11 of the 22 OSA patients would need extra oxygen while flying.
Commenting on their findings, the researchers concluded: "Patients with OSA, without lung disease, are more likely to develop significant hypoxemia [low blood oxygen] and have increased oxygen demands during flight. Ventilatory response was not impaired."
02 July 2008 17:03:39
A baby born with half a heart has just two weeks to live unless a donor can be found, doctors have told his parents.
Born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Theo Davies is currently on a life support machine which can only keep him alive for a short period of time, unless he has a transplant.
Talking about her desperation, Theo's mother Rebecca Giles, said: "People say 'Oh, it must be a nightmare for you'. But it's worse than that. I can't think of a worse situation to be in."
She continued: "Our child will die in two weeks unless we can find a heart donor. But to find another heart for Theo means that another child will die."
Theo has already had to endure five major operations since he was born and survived his heart stopping for an hour last week.
Surgeons in the US are about to undertake the first implantation of a Jarvik heart pump which, it is hoped, could help to solve a shortage of donor hearts.
One of the biggest difficulties facing people with heart problems is securing regular life insurance.
22 August 2007 14:37:21
New research has suggested that eating broccoli and cauliflower could be another form of life insurance, after it was linked to a decrease in the risk of prostate cancer.
While they won't provide the same level of protection and peace of mind as a life cover policy or critical illness insurance, the vegetables were found to lower the likelihood of developing an aggressive form of the disease.
Researchers from the US National Cancer Institute and Cancer Care Ontario examined the effect of dark green and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower on a group of patients already diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The team - whose results are published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute - found that the risk of developing an aggressive form of the disease decreased by 52 per cent when a participants was served cauliflower weekly.
A similar portion of broccoli reduced the risk by 45 per cent.
Dr Victoria Kirsch, the study leader, commented: "Aggressive prostate cancer is biologically virulent and associated with poor prognosis.
"If the association that we observed is ultimately found to be causal, a possible means to reduce the burden of this disease may be primary prevention through increased consumption of broccoli, cauliflower, and possibly spinach."
Prostate cancer accounts for nearly one in four of all male cancer diagnoses in the UK.