IAN Registers Nearly 24,000
Kennedy Krieger Institute's Interactive Autism Network (IAN), the first U.S. autism registry, has registered nearly 24,000 individuals in its first year and is helping to facilitate approximately 75 research projects across the United States, the institute announced. As part of that total, 299 sets of twins have enrolled in the IAN research protocol, providing the largest collection of twins in published autism research. Twin studies provide an opportunity for researchers to investigate both genetic and environmental factors in autism, but studies historically have found it difficult to recruit twin sets, the institute said. Initial data from the registry indicated that living in a more rural state may delay the diagnosis of autism and limit access to private schools. In addition, another analysis of initial registry data showed that families of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are using a number of autism interventions, ranging from therapy to medication to diet. The average number of simultaneous treatments was five, although half of those with an ASD receive four or fewer. Many families are using interventions that do not have strong research to support their efficacy in children with ASD, institute officials said.
Hurricanes' Mental Health Impact
Fifty-three percent of Louisiana residents said that the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had an impact on the mental health of people living in their community, according to an April 2008 survey of 800 randomly selected adults that was conducted for Research!America, a nonprofit organization. Forty-one percent of those surveyed said they knew someone who had accessed mental health services, but 58% said they felt there were not enough mental health resources available. Only 27% said that access to services was getting better, while 40% said it had stayed the same, and 23% said it was worse. Sixty-nine percent said survivors had developed new skills for coping with disaster. The survey, which had a sampling error of plus or minus 3.5%, was released at a forum on mental and public health convened by Research!America, Pfizer Inc., Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
Disorders Cause Billions in Losses
A new study suggests that major mental disorders cost $193 billion a year in lost earnings. Ronald Kessler, Ph.D., a professor of health care policy at Harvard University, Boston, and his colleagues analyzed data from 4,982 respondents to the 2002 National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a nationally representative study of Americans aged 18–64. They calculated earnings losses for those with a serious mental illness, compared with those who did not report mood and anxiety disorders that impaired their ability to function in the 30 days prior to the survey. Those with a disorder earned significantly less–$22,545, compared with $38,852 for those without a disorder. In a press release, Dr. Kessler said that the estimate is most likely conservative because the survey does not include people in hospitals or prisons, and also had very few who were autistic or schizophrenic. The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and was published on-line by the American Journal of Psychiatry in early May.
Half of America on Drugs
Medco Health Solutions has determined that 51% of insured Americans–children and adults–were taking prescription medications for at least one chronic condition in 2007. The pharmacy benefit management company analyzed a representative sample of 2.5 million people from its database. A surprise: Forty-eight percent of women aged 20–44 years are being treated for a chronic condition, compared with 33% of men their age. Antidepressants were the most common prescription for this age group, while the top therapies overall were antihypertensives and cholesterol cutters. Hormone therapy use by women aged 45–64 years declined from 30% in 2001 to 15% in 2007. The data “paint a pretty unhealthy picture of America,” Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco's chief medical officer, said in a statement. “But there is a silver lining: It does show that people are receiving treatment which can prevent more serious health problems down the road.”
Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing
Patients should be fully informed about how to interpret direct-to-consumer genetic tests, which provide only the probability of developing a disease, according to a new policy statement from the American College of Medical Genetics. The organization outlined minimum requirements for the use of any genetic testing protocol, including that patients be informed about the scientific evidence on which the test is based, that a knowledgeable professional should be involved in ordering and interpreting the test, that the clinical testing laboratory is properly accredited, and that privacy concerns are addressed. Michael S. Watson, Ph.D., who serves as executive director of the American College of Medical Genetics, said in a statement that although medical genetic counseling, testing, and treatments offer great possibilities for the future of health care, there is a lot of misinformation out there and more research is needed. “Consumers need to be cautious and always involve their health care provider, and in some cases a medical geneticist or genetic counselor, in their decisions about genetic testing,” Dr. Watson said in the statment. The full policy statement is available online at