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Home / Critical illness cover / - Loss of Limbs
Definition
The permanent physical severance of two or more limbs from above the wrist or ankle joint.
What does this mean?
Loss of limbs could be caused by an accident or because of an illness.
NEWS
'Identification of dog eye disease may lead to human treatments'
05 March 2008 17:24:10
An eye disease which can cause blindness has been identified in dogs, which may lead to treatments for similar illnesses that affect humans.
The findings may affect the life insurance policies of people afflicted by blindness.
Sinisa Grozdanic, assistant professor of veterinary medicine at Iowa State University, has identified Immune-Mediated Retinopathy (IMR) which causes loss of function in retinal cells and in some cases blindness, reports Medical News Today.
"The whole purpose is to start to understand the disease better. The more we understand these diseases, the more proficient we will be developing new treatments," he said.
According to the professor, IMR has previously been confused with a similar illness known as Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (Sards).
He identified that antibodies which attack the retinal cells in Sards patients are produced in the eye, while in IMR they are produced elsewhere in the body and travel to the eyes via the blood stream.
According to Professor Grozdanic, these two diseases are similar to illnesses that afflict humans, so treatment for people may not be far off.
"This was a giant leap. We are getting better at understanding it, and based on this information, we may be able to modify and improve treatment of dogs and eventually human patients," he said.
The onset of blindness from Sards ranges from a few hours to around two weeks.
Professor Grozdanic's research is published in the March edition of Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice.
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
Drug that protects against radiation 'developed'
11 April 2008 17:16:52
A drug that could protect against the side of effects of radiation has been developed by scientists.
Researchers in the US found that the treatment protected mice and monkeys from radiation damage and believe it could be used to help cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy - a finding which may affect their life insurance policies.
The drug, known as CBLB502, switches on a biological mechanism which helps protect healthy cells from damage during radiation.
For the study, mice were given a single injection of CBLB502 and exposed them to a lethal total body dose of radiation.
Healthy cells were protected against the effects of radiation in the digestive tract and in the bone marrow, improving their survival.
Similar effects were found in monkeys, with 90 per cent of lethally irradiated monkeys surviving after three weeks, compared with 20 per cent of those who did not receive the drug.
The group of scientists, based at institutions across America, concluded that the drug "could potentially improve the therapeutic index of cancer radiotherapy and serve as biological protectants in radiation emergencies."
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
MS drug trial produces positive results
20 June 2008 17:38:21
Patients suffering from a degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system could be helped by a new oral treatment.
Laquinimod performed positively in recent trials when used to help improve the condition of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), the BBC reported.
Trials were undertaken by researchers at the University of Vita-Salute in Italy and the team found that the treatment reduced lesions associated with MS and was well tolerated by patients.
Discussing the results, the researchers concluded: "Overall, the efficacy and safety profile emerging from this and from a previous phase two clinical trial, in combination with the oral route of administration, make laquinimod a promising therapeutic opportunity for patients with relapse remitting multiple sclerosis."
Researchers studied 306 patients aged 18 to 50 who had recently suffered a relapse of MS.
The drug was given to 204 people at either a 0.3mg or 06mg daily and 102 were given a placebo.
According to a report in the Lancet, 0.6mg of laqunimod per day resulted in a 40.4 per cent reduction of the mean number of lesions.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, leading to demyelination.
05 March 2008 17:24:10
An eye disease which can cause blindness has been identified in dogs, which may lead to treatments for similar illnesses that affect humans.
The findings may affect the life insurance policies of people afflicted by blindness.
Sinisa Grozdanic, assistant professor of veterinary medicine at Iowa State University, has identified Immune-Mediated Retinopathy (IMR) which causes loss of function in retinal cells and in some cases blindness, reports Medical News Today.
"The whole purpose is to start to understand the disease better. The more we understand these diseases, the more proficient we will be developing new treatments," he said.
According to the professor, IMR has previously been confused with a similar illness known as Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (Sards).
He identified that antibodies which attack the retinal cells in Sards patients are produced in the eye, while in IMR they are produced elsewhere in the body and travel to the eyes via the blood stream.
According to Professor Grozdanic, these two diseases are similar to illnesses that afflict humans, so treatment for people may not be far off.
"This was a giant leap. We are getting better at understanding it, and based on this information, we may be able to modify and improve treatment of dogs and eventually human patients," he said.
The onset of blindness from Sards ranges from a few hours to around two weeks.
Professor Grozdanic's research is published in the March edition of Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice.
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
11 April 2008 17:16:52
A drug that could protect against the side of effects of radiation has been developed by scientists.
Researchers in the US found that the treatment protected mice and monkeys from radiation damage and believe it could be used to help cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy - a finding which may affect their life insurance policies.
The drug, known as CBLB502, switches on a biological mechanism which helps protect healthy cells from damage during radiation.
For the study, mice were given a single injection of CBLB502 and exposed them to a lethal total body dose of radiation.
Healthy cells were protected against the effects of radiation in the digestive tract and in the bone marrow, improving their survival.
Similar effects were found in monkeys, with 90 per cent of lethally irradiated monkeys surviving after three weeks, compared with 20 per cent of those who did not receive the drug.
The group of scientists, based at institutions across America, concluded that the drug "could potentially improve the therapeutic index of cancer radiotherapy and serve as biological protectants in radiation emergencies."
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
20 June 2008 17:38:21
Patients suffering from a degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system could be helped by a new oral treatment.
Laquinimod performed positively in recent trials when used to help improve the condition of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), the BBC reported.
Trials were undertaken by researchers at the University of Vita-Salute in Italy and the team found that the treatment reduced lesions associated with MS and was well tolerated by patients.
Discussing the results, the researchers concluded: "Overall, the efficacy and safety profile emerging from this and from a previous phase two clinical trial, in combination with the oral route of administration, make laquinimod a promising therapeutic opportunity for patients with relapse remitting multiple sclerosis."
Researchers studied 306 patients aged 18 to 50 who had recently suffered a relapse of MS.
The drug was given to 204 people at either a 0.3mg or 06mg daily and 102 were given a placebo.
According to a report in the Lancet, 0.6mg of laqunimod per day resulted in a 40.4 per cent reduction of the mean number of lesions.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, leading to demyelination.