Calcification News and Research

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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

Mummies provide important twist in understanding atherosclerotic vascular disease

Like nearly 4.6 million Americans, ancient hunter-gatherers also suffered from clogged arteries, revealing that the plaque build-up causing blood clots, heart attacks and strokes is not just a result of fatty diets or couch potato habits, according to new research in the journal The Lancet.

11 Mar 2013

Osteopontin plays a role in X-linked hypophosphatemia

Diagnosed in toddlers, X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is the most common form of heritable rickets, in which soft bones bend and deform, and tooth abscesses develop because infections penetrate soft teeth that are not properly calcified. Researchers at McGill University and the Federal University of Sao Paulo have identified that osteopontin, a major bone and tooth substrate protein, plays a role in XLH. Their discovery may pave the way to effectively treating this rare disease.

21 Feb 2013

Calcium supplement intake may increase risk of death from heart disease in men

In a new study from the National Institutes of Health, startling results showed that men who took calcium supplements were more apt to die of heart disease than those who didn't get extra calcium in supplement form.

20 Feb 2013

Lipid associated variant linked to aortic stenosis, valve disorders

People who carry a lipoprotein(a) gene variant are at increased risk for aortic valve calcification and aortic stenosis, suggest study findings.

11 Feb 2013

LPA genetic variant increases risk of heart valve calcification

Researchers have found a genetic variant that doubles the likelihood that people will have calcium deposits on their aortic valve. Such calcification, if it becomes severe, can cause narrowing or a blockage of the aortic valve, a condition called aortic stenosis.

9 Feb 2013

IOF-ESCEO Pre-Clinical Symposium to be held on April 18 in Rome, Italy

Investigators with an interest in pre-clinical and translational musculoskeletal research are invited to attend the 3rd IOF-ESCEO Pre-Clinical Symposium to be held on April 18, in Rome, Italy.

29 Jan 2013

Tibial artery calcification predicts foot ulceration

Tibial artery calcification is a significant risk factor for foot ulcers in patients with Type 2 diabetes, research suggests.

9 Jan 2013

Excess vitamin A intake has calcification repercussions

Excess dietary vitamin A intake is significantly associated with increased heart valve calcification, show results from an animal study.

4 Dec 2012

Researchers discover first-ever mouse model of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis

Researchers at Western University have made a breakthrough that could lead to a better understanding of a common form of arthritis that, until now, has eluded scientists.

4 Dec 2012

African-American patients with CAD have low thoracic fat volume than Caucasians

While obesity is considered a cardiovascular risk factor, a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) showed that African-American patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have much less fat around their hearts compared to Caucasian patients.

28 Nov 2012

Expert panel confirms safety of calcium supplements in relation to cardiovascular disease

Individuals who do not obtain recommended intake levels of calcium through dietary sources can safely utilize calcium supplements to achieve optimal bone health, an expert panel concludes.

16 Nov 2012

Scientists discover how external signals regulate vascular remodelling at cell level

Blood vessels are extremely dynamic: depending on the external conditions, they can adapt their permeability for nutrients, their contractility, and even their shape. Unlike cardiac muscle cells, for example, the smooth muscle cells in blood vessels demonstrate a high degree of plasticity, so they can specialise or multiply as required, even repairing damage to the vessel wall.

13 Nov 2012

Calcium intake does not increase risk of coronary artery calcification

Researchers at the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (HMS), have published a study that shows no evidence of a link between calcium intake and coronary artery calcification, reassuring adults who take calcium supplements for bone health that the supplements do not appear to result in the development of calcification of blood vessels.

8 Nov 2012

Drug-eluting stents exhibit some benefits in patients over 80

Rarely tested in patients over the age of 80, a study found that drug-eluting stents exhibited some benefits over bare-metal stents, though both types of stents demonstrated a clinical benefit. Results of the XIMA trial were presented today at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium.

29 Oct 2012

Ultrasound may help predict future tendon injuries in dancers

Asymptomatic focal hypoechoic changes in the patellar and achilles tendons moderately increase the risk for future injury in professional dancers, show study findings.

15 Oct 2012

$Stent fracture after stent implantation linked to thrombosis$

Stent fracture after stent implantation linked to thrombosis

Stent fracture after everolimus-eluting stent implantation occurs in 2.9% of lesions and is associated with a significantly increased rate of major adverse cardiac events, say researchers.

2 Oct 2012

Cytochroma commences CTAP101 phase 3 study in secondary hyperparathyroidism

Cytochroma today announced the initiation of a phase 3 study of CTAP101 capsules in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and vitamin D insufficiency.

21 Sep 2012

Novel serum assay measures calcification risk

Researchers have devised a nephelometer-based assay that measures the risk for calcification in serum samples.

12 Sep 2012

Test to identify potentially deadly calcium deposits in tissues and blood vessels

A new test could help identify and treat individuals at risk of developing potentially deadly calcium deposits in their tissues and blood vessels, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Heart disease is the number one killer of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and vascular calcification is thought to play a major role.

7 Sep 2012