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.

South Florida physician publishes unique cookbook for weight loss

South Florida physician, author, and weight-loss expert Sanford Siegal, D.O., M.D., has published a unique cookbook that enables anyone who follows almost any calorie-controlled weight-loss or weight-maintenance diet to combine 120 recipes into a nearly unlimited number of calorie-specific meals.

18 Oct 2010

ACG meeting to exhibit Cimzia data for Crohn's disease treatment

Studies and analyses of the Crohn's disease (CD) treatment Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) will be exhibited at the 2010 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, taking place in San Antonio from October 15 – 20.

18 Oct 2010

Six-year data of reinforces efficacy and safety of Reclast injection in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

Novartis announced today that new six-year data reinforce the long-term efficacy and safety profile of once-yearly Reclast (zoledronic acid) injection in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The study of more than 1,200 women was presented this weekend at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) in Toronto, ON, Canada.

18 Oct 2010

Bristol-Myers, Otsuka launch My SPRYCEL Support program to assist patients with CML

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. today announced the launch of My SPRYCEL (dasatinib) Support, a useful resource to assist adult patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who are taking SPRYCEL.

15 Oct 2010

$FDA warns of risk of atypical thigh bone fracture in patients taking bisphosphonates$

FDA warns of risk of atypical thigh bone fracture in patients taking bisphosphonates

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned patients and health care providers about the possible risk of atypical thigh bone (femoral) fracture in patients who take bisphosphonates, a class of drugs used to prevent and treat osteoporosis. A labeling change and Medication Guide will reflect this risk. Bisphosphonates inhibit the loss of bone mass in people with osteoporosis.

14 Oct 2010

Stimulating brain's nicotine receptors may eliminate side effects of Alzheimer's drug: Research

A team of neuroscientists has discovered important new information in the search for an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease, the debilitating neurological disorder that afflicts more than 5.3 million Americans and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Hey-Kyoung Lee, associate professor in the University of Maryland Department of Biology, and her research team have shown that they may be able to eliminate debilitating side effects caused by a promising Alzheimer's drug by stimulating the brain's nicotine receptors.

14 Oct 2010

New 2010 clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in Canada released

Today, Osteoporosis Canada released its 2010 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Osteoporosis in Canada, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The new guidelines represent a paradigm shift in the prevention and treatment of osteoporotic fractures, moving the focus from treating low bone mineral density (BMD) to better identifying fractures caused by weakened bones (fragility fractures).

12 Oct 2010

EMA approves TWYNSTA therapy that reduces BP in hypertensive patients

Boehringer Ingelheim announced today that the European Commission confirmed the positive opinion of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approving TWYNSTA. TWYNSTA is indicated for the treatment of hypertension in adults whose blood pressure is not adequately controlled on amlodipine or as replacement therapy in adult patients receiving telmisartan and amlodipine from separate tablets containing the same component doses.

12 Oct 2010

Essentialis receives patent for active component in DCCR product

Essentialis, Inc. announced today that the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued U.S. Patent No. 7,799,777 entitled Salts of potassium ATP channel openers and uses thereof. The patent claims a novel composition of a polymorph of diazoxide choline, the active ingredient in the Essentialis lead product, DCCR. Essentialis has successfully completed phase 2b clinical trials with DCCR, showing a highly significant triglyceride reduction in dyslipidemic patients.

12 Oct 2010

$Osteoporosis Canada issues new guidelines to prevent fragility fractures$

Osteoporosis Canada issues new guidelines to prevent fragility fractures

Comprehensive new guidelines from the Osteoporosis Canada aimed at preventing fragility fractures in women and men over the age of 50 are published in CMAJ.

12 Oct 2010

Tips to keep bones strong

October 20 is World Osteoporosis Day. Most people know that osteoporosis is a condition that affects many older women. Though osteoporosis isn't as common in men -- because most men have naturally larger and stronger bones -- they can get it, too.

11 Oct 2010

BioSante presents update on LibiGel clinical study at NAMS Annual Meeting

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. presented a LibiGel clinical study update at the 21st Annual Meeting of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) on October 8, 2010, with more than 1,000 experts and practitioners in menopause and women's health in attendance.

11 Oct 2010

FDA warns of harmful stimulant in Slimming Beauty capsules

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today advised consumers who have Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules not to use the product. FDA warns that Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine, a prescription-only drug which is a stimulant. Sibutramine is not listed on the product label and could harm consumers, especially those with cardiovascular conditions.

11 Oct 2010

Correcting vitamin D deficiency before orthopedic surgery improves patient outcome: Study

Almost 50 percent of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery have vitamin D deficiency that should be corrected before surgery to improve patient outcomes, based on a study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City. Vitamin D is essential for bone healing and muscle function and is critical for a patient's recovery. The study appears in the October issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

8 Oct 2010

Physicians should check fatty deposits around heart when evaluating heart problems: Researchers

Cardiac imaging researchers at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute are recommending that physicians not overlook fatty deposits around the heart when evaluating patients for risk of major heart problems.

8 Oct 2010

Vitamin D deficiency may impact orthopaedic procedure outcomes

Forty-three percent of patients scheduled to undergo orthopaedic surgery have insufficient levels of vitamin D and two out of five of those patients had levels low enough to place them at risk for metabolic bone disease, according to a study published this month in the October 6th issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

7 Oct 2010

Pioneer Surgical receives patent for nanOss technology

Pioneer Surgical Technology, Inc., a global medical device provider in orthopaedics, spine, and biologics, is proud to announce the United States Patent Office has reissued a patent further strengthening Pioneer's market position in nanocrystalline derived products used in orthopaedics.

6 Oct 2010