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.

Untested products sold in stores during patent medicine era, study shows

Scientists provided a glimpse today based on an analysis of a museum collection of patent medicines used in turn-of-the-century America.

8 Apr 2013

Research identifies important role of zinc in kidney stone formation

Kidney stones usually make their presence known suddenly, often sending a person to the hospital in excruciating pain. Each year in the U.S. more than a million people seek medical attention for kidney stones, technically called nephrolithiasis.

8 Apr 2013

Research facilitates development of treatments, cures to Alzheimer's disease

A team of researchers at The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute led by Scott Noggle, PhD, Director of the NYSCF Laboratory and the NYSCF - Charles Evans Senior Research Fellow for Alzheimer's Disease, and Michael W. Nestor, PhD, a NYSCF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, has developed a technique to produce three-dimensional cultures of induced pluripotent stem cells called embryoid bodies, amenable to live cell imaging and to electrical activity measurement.

3 Apr 2013

ShopSmart magazine's April issue features answers to common questions about Vitamin D

Vitamin D has been touted as the answer to all kinds of health problems, but many of these claims are overblown. The April 2013 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from Consumer Reports, features answers to some of the most common questions about Vitamin D and names the best from its tests of 32 products.

2 Apr 2013

Scientists identify key molecule responsible for triggering chemical processes in brain

Scientists have identified a key molecule responsible for triggering the chemical processes in our brain linked to our formation of memories. The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Neural Circuits, reveal a new target for therapeutic interventions to reverse the devastating effects of memory loss.

30 Mar 2013

GF foods lack vitamins and nutrients, can be high in fat and calories

In the ever-present search to identify and address bad nutrition habits, gluten-free eating has been receiving a lot of attention. But experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) say it is not to be confused with typical weight loss procedures.

29 Mar 2013

Chelation therapy with drug disodium EDTA reduces risk of heart attack

Although chelation therapy with the drug disodium EDTA has been used for many years with limited evidence of efficacy for the treatment of coronary disease, a randomized trial that included patients with a prior heart attack found that use of a chelation regimen modestly reduced the risk of a composite of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

27 Mar 2013

Ketamine may help treat severe depression, reduce suicidal urges, UAB researchers say

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers think ketamine, an anesthesia medication in use since the 1970s, might be a valuable tool in treating severe depression and reducing suicidal urges; they have launched two studies to explore the possibility.

27 Mar 2013

Study shows vitamin D can help people breathe better and protect against TB

Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D can help people breathe better and may even protect against tuberculosis (TB), according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

26 Mar 2013

A new strategy to prevent herpes virus infections

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered a novel strategy for preventing infections due to the highly common herpes simplex viruses, the microbes responsible for causing genital herpes (herpes simplex virus 2) and cold sores (herpes simplex virus 1).

26 Mar 2013

Actavis settles patent litigation with AstraZeneca over generic version of Crestor

Actavis, Inc., a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that is has reached a settlement agreement with AstraZeneca resolving outstanding patent litigation related to Actavis' generic version of rosuvastatin calcium 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg tablets, the generic version of Crestor tablets, as well as Actavis' rosuvastatin zinc alternate salt product.

25 Mar 2013

Dysfunction of Calcium channel in neurons of cerebellum causes different motor diseases

A dysfunction of a certain Calcium channel, the so called P/Q-type channel, in neurons of the cerebellum is sufficient to cause different motor diseases as well as a special type of epilepsy.

22 Mar 2013

Maternal vitamin D levels not found to affect children’s bone health

A study of nearly 4000 pairs of mothers and their children in the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol has shown that maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy are not associated with the child’s bone health in later life. The research, published Online First in The Lancet, is the largest ever observational study of the effects of mothers’ vitamin D levels in pregnancy on their children’s bone health, and suggests that UK health guidelines may be overstating the importance of vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy.

20 Mar 2013

Research findings could lead to development of new drugs for gout treatment

Findings from a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study could lead to the development of new drugs to treat gout.

20 Mar 2013

Previously unknown cell discovered in the urethra of mice

A recent study conducted by a group of German scientists revealed the presence of a previously unknown cell in the urethra of mice. These chemosensory cholinergic brush cells are in close contact to sensory neurons that express cholinergic receptors.

15 Mar 2013

Study: College-age kids who don't consume milk daily could develop metabolic syndrome

College-age kids who don't consume at least three servings of dairy daily are three times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than those who do, said a new University of Illinois study.

15 Mar 2013

EDTA chelation, high-dose vitamins/minerals may provide additional benefit for MI patients

Heart attack patients given a combination of high-dose oral vitamins and minerals do not exhibit a significant reduction in recurrent cardiac events, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

13 Mar 2013

Trial evaluates ranolazine in patients with diabetes, coronary artery disease and angina

A commonly used anti-anginal drug reduces chest pain in patients with type 2 diabetes and appears to have a more pronounced effect in those with poorer glucose control, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

13 Mar 2013

Genetic mutation that alters PIEZO1 ion channel in RBCs contributes to familial xerocytosis

A genetic mutation that alters the kinetics of an ion channel in red blood cells has been identified as the cause behind a hereditary anemia, according to a paper published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by University at Buffalo scientists and colleagues.

11 Mar 2013

Inclacumab reduces damage to heart muscle during angioplasty

A single dose of an investigational anti-inflammatory drug called inclacumab considerably reduces damage to heart muscle during angioplasty (the opening of a blocked artery), according to a recent international clinical trial spearheaded by Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Director of the Research Centre at the Montreal Heart Institute, affiliated with the University of Montreal.