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.

Chart trends for bone and mineral metabolism in CKD

BioTrends Research Group, LLC has released findings from the 2011 ChartTrends: Bone and Mineral Metabolism in Chronic Kidney Disease report, the fifth in an on-going annual series. The study was conducted with 204 U.S. nephrologists who completed detailed chart reviews for 1,037 patients in CKD Stage 3, 4 and 5 not yet on dialysis.

29 Dec 2011

Alexion to acquire 100% of capital stock of Enobia

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Enobia Pharma Corp. today announced that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which Alexion will acquire 100% of the capital stock of Enobia.

29 Dec 2011

Study hopes to explain premature births and failed inductions of labour

New research hopes to explain premature births and failed inductions of labour. The study by academics at the University of Bristol suggests a new mechanism by which the level of myosin phosphorylation is regulated in the pregnant uterus.

22 Dec 2011

Truths and myths about pregnancy, obesity

Ironically, despite excessive caloric intake, many obese women are deficient in vitamins vital to a healthy pregnancy. This and other startling statistics abound when obesity and pregnancy collide. Together, they present a unique set of challenges that women and their doctors must tackle in order to achieve the best possible outcome for mom and baby.

22 Dec 2011

CLND may help reduce papillary thyroid cancer recurrence rates

Papillary thyroid cancer accounts for the majority of all thyroid malignancies, which primarily impact women. A new study indicates that routinely removing lymph nodes in the neck in these cancer patients may help prevent the disease from coming back.

21 Dec 2011

DHEA hormone may help a woman's menopausal symptoms, sex life

A new study has shown that the DHEA, a hormone mostly secreted by the adrenal glands, may be able to help a woman's menopausal symptoms, as well as giving her a better sex life.

20 Dec 2011

Gene therapy may promote growth of hair cells in inner ear

Normal hearing depends on the presence of healthy hair cells in the inner ear. Gene therapy has the potential to slow the loss of hair cells and promote the growth of hair cells that have already been damaged.

20 Dec 2011

Zalicus commences Z944 Phase 1 clinical trial for treatment of acute and inflammatory pain

Zalicus Inc. a biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops novel treatments for patients suffering from pain and immuno-inflammatory diseases, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the pharmacokinetics and safety of Z944, a novel oral T-type calcium channel blocker with demonstrated preclinical potential for the treatment of acute and inflammatory pain.

19 Dec 2011

Arab Health conference to discuss link between vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis

Reports from the American University of Beirut Medical Centre have concluded that The Middle East and Africa region has the highest incidence of osteoporosis in the world, while UAE-based studies from the Emirates Osteoporosis Society (EOS) across Emiratis and expatriates show that one third of people in the UAE over the age of 50 suffer from osteoporosis. The society's findings also conclude that 78% of the UAE population, most notably Emirati women, suffer from Vitamin D deficiency, which is essential for good bone health, despite the abundance of sunshine.

19 Dec 2011

Top tips on how you can cut 500 calories out of your Christmas dinner

Many of us work hard to keep trim, watching our weight all year round just to see the pounds pile on over Christmas. But this year NHS Choices is offering top tips on how you can cut 500 calories out of your Christmas dinner while still enjoying all your traditional favourites.

17 Dec 2011

PET scans can provide insight into process that causes aortic stenosis

Patients with life-threatening heart valve disease could be helped with alternative scanning techniques that provide greater insight into the condition.

13 Dec 2011

Cortex plays a key role in fear learning

The study, initiated by the Swiss researchers and published in Nature, constitutes ground-breaking work in exploring emotions in the brain.

12 Dec 2011

Diabetes increases risk of emergency caesarean birth in women with poorly contracting uterus

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that the strength of uterine contractions in diabetic pregnant women is significantly weaker than in non-diabetic women, increasing the risk of emergency caesarean birth.

7 Dec 2011

Zalicus commences Z160 Phase 1 clinical trial for pain

Zalicus Inc. a biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops novel treatments for patients suffering from pain and immuno-inflammatory diseases today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the pharmacokinetics and safety of a new formulation of Z160 (formerly NMED-160), a novel oral N-type calcium channel blocker.

5 Dec 2011

Spectrum seeks FDA IND approval for SPI-014 to treat hyperphosphatemia

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has submitted an investigational new drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for SPI-014 (previously referred to as RENAZORB), a second-generation lanthanum-based nanoparticle phosphate binding agent, that has the potential to treat hyperphosphatemia in patients with Stage 5 chronic kidney disease, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

5 Dec 2011

Novartis to showcase 160 presentations on breast cancer, hematological disease drugs at SABCS and ASH

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation will showcase more than one hundred and sixty presentations on data from its robust oncology portfolio at two key medical congresses this month, demonstrating significant advances for patients with cancers and hematological diseases.

3 Dec 2011

Adding a dip can induce bitter sensitive children to eat more vegetables

There's an existential crisis that often happens at dinner tables across the country: why won't kids eat their vegetables? Research has found that one reason could be a sensitivity to bitterness, fairly common among children - about 70 percent have it.

2 Dec 2011

FDA clears Covidien's SpiderFX embolic protection device

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared SpiderFX for the treatment of severely calcified lesions used in conjunction with plaque excision in arteries of the lower extremities. It is the only embolic protection device indicated for this treatment in the United States.

1 Dec 2011

Young women attempting to lose weight should consume a high dairy-source protein diet

New research suggests that a calorie-restricted diet higher in protein—mostly from dairy foods—and lower in carbohydrates coupled with daily exercise has a major positive impact on bone health in overweight and obese young women.

1 Dec 2011

Loyola to study vitamin D deficiency in people of African descent

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researchers have received a five-year, $2.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study vitamin D deficiency in people of African descent.

1 Dec 2011