Could Genetics be the cause of Lupus

Over a million individuals in the United States alone suffer from lupus, and the majority of those individuals are women (black women are even more likely to suffer from the disease than white women). Lupus is a painful sometimes fatal autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack it’s own brain, lungs, joints, skin, blood, and other organs. Lupus attacks may lead to kidney failure, arthritis, and cardiovascular problems.

Researchers have located a group of genes that act as a trigger mechanism to the autoimmune disorder lupus. Lupus is such a complex autoimmune disease that has been difficult to diagnose let alone cure.

Papers published in Nature Medicine and the New England Journal of Medicine pinpoint both new and familiar genetic culprits responsible for developing lupus. A couple of the genes mentioned in the papers were already associated lupus as well as other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. The excitement came when researchers identified three new genes, in addition to the other known genes.

Why is this so exciting? Identifying these genes may provide better lupus treatments in the short term, and long-range possibilities are very positive. Once researchers, determine what how each gene functions, there may be a way to manipulate them in an effort to at the very least lessen the symptoms of lupus (and possibly other autoimmune disorders). Of course the main goal of researchers is to discover a genetic treatment that will eradicate lupus and other autoimmune disorders if possible.










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Genetic Susceptibility to shyness - the shyness Gene

Recently, researchers conducted three separate studies involving children ages (21 months – 6 years), college students, and young adults in an effort to determine possible links between genes and shyness. For the purpose of these studies, researchers defined introversion or shyness as being less sociable and disliking large group situations.

The first study involved children from over one hundred families. The children stayed with their mothers while a female researcher gave them tasks that they were not familiar with for about ninety minutes. These sessions were video recorded; researchers isolated the children who were withdrawn, shy, or hesitant during the sessions, then analyzed blood samples taken from the children. The results of the gene test showed these children had variations in their RGS2 gene.

The second study involved over seven hundred college students who were given personality surveys and blood tests, and, once again, variations in the RGS2 gene were prevalent among more introverted students.

The third study involved brain scans that were completed on fifty-five young adults, who were shown pictures of happy, angry, or fearful faces. Individuals with RGS2 gene variations showed an increase in brain activity within areas of the brain that are responsible for fear and anxiety.

Researchers were quick to point out that the RGS2 gene does not make individuals shy or introverted and that this study was not done as a diagnosing tool for anxiety disorder. The mere fact that an individual is shy or introverted does not mean that they suffer from anxiety. However, introversion and shyness are risk factors for anxiety related disorders particularly social anxiety disorder.

If future research provides scientists with more connections between anxiety disorders and RGS2 gene variations, gene therapy may be a viable treatment for anxiety related disorders.












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Social Security Disability Articles page updated

It's been a while since I've updated this particular page of articles. However, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to add some of my more recent posts on this blog to that page, for those who may find the main site but not actually come across the blog itself.

In addition to adding selected blog postings to this article page (linked at the end of this post), I've decided to change the appearance of the blog somewhat as well. Blogger is great in the sense that it is easy to set up, easy to publish within, and relatively easy to manage. However, most of the standard templates that are available are not so easy on the eyes. In fact, the one I was using initially looked like a splash of orange sherbert in a snowstorm. So, I've altered this template a bit, not much but just enough to avoid snowblindness. It's still pretty basic, but I think its a bit easier on the eyes.

Social Security Disability Articles page updated

Disability Determination for Social Security Disability Benefits

The following page discusses the disability determination process used by the social security administration, which includes the initial claim filing (the application), the first level of appeal (reconsideration) and the second level of appeal (the hearing that is held by a federal judge).

The page discusses the fact that the disability process is not easy, takes far too long to get through, and also the fact that the help and support of one's treating doctor can be very important from the standpoint of winning a claim.

Lastly, the page discusses the benefits of an RFC, a residual functional capacity form, which is used by both physicians and the social security administration to indicate the prognosis, employability, and benefit eligibility of an individual filing for disability.

The Social Security Disability Determination Process








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Social Security Disability Forms and letters

The following page discusses letters and forms that may be sent by the social security administration to an applicant in the course of processing a claim for either SSD or SSI disability benefits. The page points out several tips to follow and mistakes to avoid, such as ignoring correspondence from SSA (this can be hazardous to a claim) and the need for returning paperwork (usually to a disability examiner who has been assigned to process a case) promptly.

One thing, however, that should be pointed out is the fact that claimants who are represented by disability attorneys have the benefit of their attorney receiving copies of everything that SSA mails to them. This serves as a failsafe, meaning that, even if a claimant does not receive a notice that requires a response by a certain date, the disability attorney probably will receive a copy. This can help to ensure that important deadlines do not get missed.

But, there are cases in which the social security administration does not send notices either to a claimant or to their designated represenatative. For this reason, a claimant should periodically check the status of their claim by calling the social security office, disability determination services, or the hearing office (whichever is more appropriate, depending on the level their claim is at). Of course, a claimant who is represented should probably have their disability attorney perform this action for them.

The following page provides additional information regarding this topic:

Social Security Disability - letters and forms








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Social Security Disability Application Interview

Individuals who file for disability become immediately aware of the fact that not only will they have to submit forms and information to the social security administration, they will have to submit to an interview appointment. Understandably, the idea of having to go through such an interview makes some claimants nervous and questions arise in their minds such as:

What will they ask me?, What should I bring with me when I go to my interview appointment?, Are there good or bad answers for some of the questions they will ask?...

Being nervous before a disability interview takes place is natural. After all, simply being in the position of filing for disability automatically connotes a high level of need, both for the individual applicant and for the well-being of their family.

However, the social security disability interview is really nothing to be fearful about. The interview is conducted at a social security office by a social security employee known as a claims rep. And its purpose is simply to gather initial information that is needed to get a claim started and put into the system for processing.

The following page provides additional information regarding this topic:

Social Security Disability Interview — what it involves








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SSD Benefits, Depression, and Mental Testing

Depression is seen quite often on applications for social security disability and SSI. And like every other physical and mental impairment, depression is evaluated in terms of its ability to reduce or eliminate an individual's ability to work, either at a job they've done in the past, or at some form of other work.

This, of course, means that a person filing for disability must have their medical records evaluated to determine their restrictions and what they are still capable of doing (known as their residual functional capacity). It also means that when the records obtained for a claimant do not provide enough information, the claimant may be requested to go to some form of testing.

For physical impairments, this testing typically involves going to a physical examination (known as a CE, or consultative examination). For mental impairments, this often means going to some form of mental evaluation (this could include a mental status exam, a psychological CE, which is essentially an IQ test, or a psychiatric exam).

The following page discusses mental exams (testing) that may be required for disability applications in which depression is a featured impairment.

Social Security Disability, Depression, and Mental Testing







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