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.

Teagasc to coordinate 'National Cheese Research Programme 2015'

Teagasc will coordinate a major new €1.3 million national research project, titled 'National Cheese Research Programme 2015'. Dr Phil Kelly, coordinator of the project, said: "The Irish Cheese Research Consortium (ICRC) embraces the Irish dairy industry's forecast for significant expansion in cheese production, both in overall volume and in specific varieties, over the next 10 years."

31 Mar 2012

Scientists reveal powerful role of astrocytes in the brain

A type of cell plentiful in the brain, long considered mainly the stuff that holds the brain together and oft-overlooked by scientists more interested in flashier cells known as neurons, wields more power in the brain than has been realized, according to new research published today in Science Signaling.

30 Mar 2012

Vitamin D-fortified doogh improves inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetics

Daily intake of vitamin D-fortified doogh (Persian yogurt drink) improved inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetics and extra calcium conferred additional anti-inflammatory benefits, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

30 Mar 2012

One-side parathyroid surgery has poorer long-term outcomes

Dr James Norman, MD and his partners at the Norman Parathyroid Center have published a landmark study in this week's Journal of the American College of Surgeons describing how the operation they developed and advocated for more than 19 years has significantly poorer long-term outcomes. The unilateral or "one-side" parathyroid surgical procedure to remove parathyroid tumors from patients suffering from hyperparathyroidism is a dramatic change from the large neck operation that it replaced.

29 Mar 2012

ECTS, IOF publish guidance document to manage GIO

Oral glucocorticoids are commonly prescribed for a wide variety of disorders, most commonly for rheumatoid arthritis, obstructive pulmonary disease and inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the use of these medications can result in rapid bone loss during the first three to six months of therapy, leading to increased risk of fragility fractures.

28 Mar 2012

Specific precautions must be taken for individuals on longer-term oral glucocorticoid therapy

Millions of people around the world are prescribed glucocorticoids for a wide variety of inflammatory conditions, including, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and inflammatory bowel diseases. Although they are effective and widely used, one of the potentially serious side effects of these medications is glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

28 Mar 2012

Boniva generics receive FDA approval for treatment, prevention of osteoporosis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic versions of Boniva (ibandronate) tablets, a once-monthly product to treat or prevent osteoporosis in women after menopause.

27 Mar 2012

GE Healthcare introduces Discovery CT750 HD FREEdom Edition

Announcing a leap forward in advanced cardiac imaging, GE Healthcare introduces the FDA 510(k)-pending Discovery CT750 HD FREEdom Edition at the opening of this year's American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Scientific Session & Expo in Chicago.

26 Mar 2012

Osteoporosis researcher receives IOF Medal of Achievement

Today, at the European Congress on Osteoporosis & Osteoarthritis, Professor Cyrus Cooper was awarded the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Medal of Achievement.

26 Mar 2012

No added benefit of aliskiren-amlodipine fixed drug combination for hypertension

The fixed drug combination of aliskiren and amlodipine (trade name: Rasilamlo-) was approved in April 2011 for the treatment of people with hypertension in whom aliskiren or amlodipine alone has an insufficient effect.

23 Mar 2012

Verapamil drug may reverse diabetes-related death of pancreatic beta cells

A common high-blood-pressure medication appears to reverse the diabetes-related death of pancreatic beta cells, according to a University of Alabama at Birmingham study published today in the journal Diabetes.

23 Mar 2012

Six early-career researchers to receive Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize

The new recipients of the most important prize for early-career researchers in Germany have been announced. The selection committee, appointed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), has chosen three young men and three young women to receive the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize 2012.

21 Mar 2012

Health Canada approves Mylan-Rosuvastatin Calcium Tablets

Mylan Pharmaceuticals ULC, the Canadian subsidiary of Mylan Inc., today received approval from Health Canada for Mylan-Rosuvastatin Calcium Tablets, 5mg, 10mg, 20mg and 40mg. Mylan-Rosuvastatin is the generic version of Astra Zeneca's Crestor Tablets, which are used for the management of primary hypercholesterolaemia, mixed dyslipidaemia, and familial hypercholesterolaemia.

16 Mar 2012

Scientists use novel system to discover sequential firing of neurons

Princeton University researchers have used a novel virtual reality and brain imaging system to detect a form of neural activity underlying how the brain forms short-term memories that are used in making decisions.

15 Mar 2012

Potential new way to treat rare inherited metabolic disorders

A University of Michigan cell biologist and his colleagues have identified a potential drug that speeds up trash removal from the cell's recycling center, the lysosome.

14 Mar 2012

Magnesium may help reduce blood pressure

Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire have found that magnesium supplements may offer small but clinically significant reductions in blood pressure. In a paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers also discovered that the size of the effect increased in line with increased dosage.

14 Mar 2012

Living-donor parathyroid gland transplant allows young woman to forgo 60 pills per day

Surgeons at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System performed a rare living-donor parathyroid gland transplant to help a 22-year-old woman maintain normal calcium levels without the need for high-dose supplementation.

13 Mar 2012

Human diseases with Drosophila counterparts discussed at annual conference

More than two-thirds of human genes have counterparts in the well-studied fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, so although it may seem that humans don't have much in common with flies, the correspondence of our genetic instructions is astonishing. In fact, there are hundreds of inherited diseases in humans that have Drosophila counterparts.

12 Mar 2012

Even low-dose nanoparticles could have big impact on long-term health

Nanoparticles are everywhere. From cosmetics and clothes, to soda and snacks. But as versatile as they are, nanoparticles also have a downside, say researchers at Binghamton University and Cornell University in a recent paper published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. These tiny particles, even in low doses, could have a big impact on our long-term health.

9 Mar 2012