Calcium News and Research

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Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is found in some foods, added to others, available as a dietary supplement, and present in some medicines (such as antacids). Calcium is required for muscle contraction, blood vessel expansion and contraction, secretion of hormones and enzymes, and transmitting impulses throughout the nervous system. The body strives to maintain constant concentrations of calcium in blood, muscle, and intercellular fluids, though less than <1% of total body calcium is needed to support these functions.

The remaining 99% of the body's calcium supply is stored in the bones and teeth where it supports their structure. Bone itself undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant resorption and deposition of calcium into new bone. The balance between bone resorption and deposition changes with age. Bone formation exceeds resorption in growing children, whereas in early and middle adulthood both processes are relatively equal. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds formation, resulting in bone loss that increases the risk of osteoporosis over time.

Calcium supplements can decrease the risk of all types of colorectal polyps

While taking calcium supplements can decrease the risk of all types of colorectal polyps, research led by Dartmouth Medical School shows calcium had the greatest effect on advanced colorectal adenomas, considered to be most strongly associated with invasive colorectal cancer.

15 Jun 2004

People in Washington are living longer but not necessarily better

People in Washington are living longer but not necessarily better, although there are simple steps that people can take now to improve their long term health and independence.

11 Jun 2004

Exercise is more influential than calcium intake in determining bone strength in young women

Studies have shown that most of a female's bone mass is built between the ages of 13 and 15 and then slowly lost in the last four decades of her life. Therefore, attaining optimal bone mass and bone strength in adolescence may offer the best protection possible against osteoporosis - bone loss in post-menopausal women and the elderly.

10 Jun 2004

Russian doctors appreciate benefits of natural remedies

"It would appear that American doctors have a long way to go compared to Russian doctors who are, after recognizing the limited results with traditional drugs, are now successfully testing natural remedies," according to nutritional researcher Peter Gillham.

10 Jun 2004

Epilepsy drugs can increase the rate of bone loss in older women

Epilepsy drugs can increase the rate of bone loss in older women, according to a study published in the June 8 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Jun 2004

Some African American adolescents who live in cities have low levels of vitamin D

Some African American adolescents who live in cities have low levels of vitamin D, according to an article in the June issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Jun 2004

BioSante publishes oral insulin study

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced the publication of positive results of a preclinical study of its proprietary calcium phosphate nanoparticle (CAP) delivery system for the oral delivery of insulin in the June 11 issue of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Pharmaceutics.

2 Jun 2004

Novel molecular targeting technologies to deliver gene-silencing therapy

Researchers have combined novel molecular targeting technologies to deliver gene-silencing therapy specifically to tumor cells shielded by a normally impermeable obstacle, the blood brain barrier.

1 Jun 2004

Most Americans are not meeting their dietary needs for calcium

According to government surveys, 70 percent of girls and 60 percent of boys ages 6-11 do not meet current calcium recommendations.

31 May 2004

Researchers identify molecules that underlie nerve fiber degeneration in multiple sclerosis patients

Yale researchers and collaborators have identified molecules that underlie nerve fiber degeneration in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that cripples nearly three million people worldwide. The new findings are the first observations in humans of molecules that contribute to degeneration of nerve fibers.

27 May 2004

New findings suggest mammograms may help predict cardiovascular disease

The presence of breast vascular calcifications found through common mammograms is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in women, according to an article in the May Journal of Women's Health.

25 May 2004

Intensive exercising after menopause may reduce bone loss

Early postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who participate in an intense exercise program may experience reduced bone loss, reduced back pain, and lower cholesterol levels, according to an article in the May 24 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

24 May 2004

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics awards $21 million to Vertex

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has announced that it has expanded its drug discovery and development collaboration with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc. (CFFT), the nonprofit drug discovery and development affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

24 May 2004

Study has important implications for African Americans who suffer from high blood pressure

A new study has important implications for the millions of African Americans who suffer from high blood pressure. The study, AADVANCE, shows Diovan HCT(R) (valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide) lowers blood pressure in African Americans to aggressive recommended target blood pressure goals as effectively as amlodipine.

20 May 2004

About one in 35 adult Americans is at high risk of coronary heart disease

About one in 35 adult Americans is at high risk of coronary heart disease, meaning they have a greater than 20 percent chance of developing heart disease within 10 years, and about one in six has a 10-year risk that is greater than 10 percent, according to a new study in the May 19, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

19 May 2004

Multimillion-dollar electron microscope unveils shapes of viruses and proteins

With a multimillion-dollar electron microscope and computer programs that can pick out the shapes of structures only six atoms wide, Dr. Wah Chiu and his colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston are attempting to explain the intricate structures of viruses and proteins.

19 May 2004

Blood pressure screening for children should start at age 3, according to the latest government diagnosis and treatment guidelines

Blood pressure screening for children should start at age 3, according to the latest government diagnosis and treatment guidelines that were presented at the American Society of Hypertension’s Nineteenth Annual Scientific Meeting.

19 May 2004

A strengthened cement has been devised specifically for facial reconstructive surgery

A strengthened cement has been devised specifically for facial reconstructive surgery. Materials Scientists at the University of Birmingham's School of Dentistry have discovered that by adding sodium citrate to the liquid phase, calcium phosphate cement is more than three times stronger.

12 May 2004

Lab calibration errors may add $199 million to U.S. health care costs

Small measurement uncertainties in clinical laboratory tests can add large amounts to health care costs, according to a newly released study commissioned by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

7 May 2004

Wyeth gets FDA approval for a novel protein device that enhances bone healing

Wyeth have announced that the FDA has approved rhBMP-2/ACS (recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2/Absorbable Collagen Sponge), a novel protein device that enhances bone healing, for use in the treatment of acute, open tibia shaft fractures in adults.

3 May 2004