Disabilities-R-Us News

Disability related news from around the world courtesy of The New York Times.

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• The Uneven Playing Field

  Everyone wants girls to have as many opportunities in sports as boys. But can we live with the greater rate of injuries they suffer?
  
  

• Personal Best: For Peak Performance, 3 Is Not Better Than 1

  To run faster, triathletes need to stop swimming and cycling.
  
  

• Hard Sell to Medicare Insurance Buyers Would Get Softer Under New Rules

  The Bush administration proposed on Thursday to crack down on the aggressive marketing of private Medicare insurance plans.
  
  

• Group Asks Government to End Use of Birth Control Patch

  A consumer advocacy group petitioned the government Thursday to pull the birth-control patch off the market, calling it far riskier than the pill.
  
  

• $271 Million for Research on Stem Cells in California

  The awards represent the largest chunk of money given at one time by California?s taxpayer-backed stem cell program, which plans to spend about $3 billion over a decade.
  
  

• Redefining Disease, Genes and All

  A growing band of researchers is trying to redefine how diseases are classified ? by looking at their genetic underpinnings.
  
  

• Lasers May Treat Cancers of the Larynx

  A new outpatient laser procedure could eliminate the need for radiation treatment for cancer of the larynx if the tumors are detected early.
  
  

• Evidence a High-Fat Diet Works to Treat Epilepsy

  A new study indicates that a high-fat diet has proved effective in reducing seizures in children whose epilepsy does not respond to medication.
  
  

• Mind: I?m Not Lying, I?m Telling a Future Truth. Really.

  Exaggeration, it seems, can be part of a plan for self-improvement.
  
  

• Vital Signs: Prognosis: Kidney Decline Difficult to Stop

  A new study indicates how challenging it remains to treat kidney disease, and suggests that other factors besides high blood pressure need to be addressed.
  
  

• Citywide: The Lost Supermarket: A Breed in Need of Replenishment

  Millions of New Yorkers are having trouble finding fresh and affordable food within walking distance of their homes, according to a recent city study.
  
  

• Fitness: Cycling Success Measured in Frequent-Flier Miles

  Triathletes travel (and spend) a lot for the perfect fit in a bike.
  
  

• Vital Signs: Perceptions: Go Ahead, Put the Water Bottle Down

  Drinking a lot of water is supposed to be healthy, but there is apparently little scientific support for the belief.
  
  

• Observatory: Cherry Tomatoes Get a Seawater Boost

  Researchers reported that the nutritional content of tomatoes improves when the plants are irrigated with diluted seawater.
  
  

• Personal Best: Cheating Starts Before the Race Does

  Why does the Boston Marathon make it so hard to enter? And how often do runners sneak in by trading or buying one another?s entries?