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.

Tips for healthy eating at college

For college students, the campus dining hall offers a tantalizing feast: ice-cream sundaes every night, thirty varieties of cereal and a limitless supply of french fries."It's like a smorgasborg on a cruise ship," said Cynthia Bulik, PhD, director of the Eating Disorders Program at the UNC School of Medicine. All-you-can-eat dining halls, along with changes in exercise habits, have been blamed for the "freshman 15," in which first-year students gain weight.

5 Aug 2010

Biomaterials-based bone grafts can manipulate cell behavior to repair injury

Scientists have developed a material for bone grafts that could one day replace the 'gold standard' natural bone implants.A new study shows how particles of a ceramic called calcium phosphate have the ability to stimulate promising bone regrowth by attracting stem cells and 'growth factors' to promote healing and the integration of the grafted tissue.

3 Aug 2010

Neuroglobin may protect against Alzheimer's disease: Study

A team of scientists at the University of California, Davis and the University of Auckland has discovered that neuroglobin may protect against Alzheimer's disease by preventing brain neurons from dying in response to natural stress. The team published the results of their study in the April, 2010 issue of Apoptosis.

3 Aug 2010

HDL does not predict heart attack risk after dramatic statin therapy: Study

People with high levels of "good cholesterol," HDL-C, tend to have fewer heart attacks, but HDL-C may offer little protection to people who take statins to lower harmful LDL cholesterol, researchers reported July 21. At Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Dr. Paul Ridker and colleagues analyzed a large study of healthy people who took the statin CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium) to prevent heart attacks. They found that in this group, having high HDL-C was a bad predictor of heart attack risk.

2 Aug 2010

Researchers identify new genetic route to treat epilepsy

New research points to a genetic route to understanding and treating epilepsy. Timothy Jegla, an assistant professor of biology at Penn State University, has identified an ancient gene family that plays a role in regulating the excitability of nerves within the brain.

2 Aug 2010

Adequate calcium intake maintains optimum bone mass

A broad range of scientific research has demonstrated that an adequate intake of calcium plays an important role in building and maintaining optimum bone mass, and a recent meta-analysis published online in the British Medical Journal should not cause consumers to doubt the value of calcium supplements for maintaining bone health.

31 Jul 2010

Scientists identify new targets to develop treatment for HD

Scientists at the Buck Institute for Age Research have discovered that a particular family of enzymes are involved in the breakdown of proteins that modify the production of toxic fragments that lead to the pathology of Huntington's disease. These enzymes, matrix metalloproteinases, provide new targets for drug therapies for the disease - targets that have already been shown to respond to cancer drugs currently in clinical development.

29 Jul 2010

Genetic signals determine neurotransmitter use for communication

Cascades of genetic signals determine which neurotransmitter a brain cell will ultimately use to communicate with other cells. Now a pair of reports from biologists at the University of California, San Diego, have shown for the first time that electrical activity in these developing neurons can alter their chemical fate-and change an animal's behavior-by tweaking this genetic program.

29 Jul 2010

Aggressive prostate cancer patients tend to retain denser bones

Men who develop prostate cancer, especially the more aggressive and dangerous forms that spread throughout the body, tend to retain denser bones as they age than men who stay free of the disease, suggests new research from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health.

29 Jul 2010

Research findings provide new insight into skeletal development

Too little of a protein called neogenin results in a smaller skeleton during development and sets the stage for a more fragile bone framework lifelong, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

28 Jul 2010

Calcium transfer impacts fuel mechanism for normal cell metabolism

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers have described a previously unknown biological mechanism in cells that prevents them from cannibalizing themselves for fuel. The mechanism involves the fuel used by cells under normal conditions and relies on an ongoing transfer of calcium between two cell components via an ion channel. Without this transfer, cells start consuming themselves as a way of to get enough energy.

28 Jul 2010

Perspectives in General Physiology series introduces new technologies in the field of calcium signaling

The latest Perspectives in General Physiology series introduces the newest technologies in the field of calcium signaling, which plays a central role in many cellular processes. The Perspectives appear in the August issue of the Journal of General Physiology.

27 Jul 2010

Boehringer Ingelheim announces European CHMP Positive Opinion for TWYNSTA

Boehringer Ingelheim announced today that the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a Positive Opinion for the approval of TWYNSTA®. It will be indicated in adults whose blood pressure is not adequately controlled on amlodipine and is also indicated as replacement therapy in adult patients receiving telmisartan and amlodipine from separate tablets can instead receive tablets of TWYNSTA containing the same component doses.

26 Jul 2010

Seven practical tips to help parents encourage kids to eat well during, after school

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. This astronomical rise has led many advocates to focus their energies on improving nutritional conditions in schools, including reforming cafeteria lunches and eliminating junk food in vending machines. While the debate is being staged at the national level, with Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative focusing a spotlight on the issue, there are steps that parents can take to maintain or improve their child's diet and nutrition while at school.

26 Jul 2010

Preclinical data of new acamprosate prodrug to be presented at International Fragile X Conference

XenoPort, Inc. announced today that it has discovered a novel prodrug that has the potential to improve significantly the blood concentration of acamprosate compared with the currently approved formulation of acamprosate. Preclinical data on this new product candidate will be presented tomorrow at the National Fragile X Foundation's 12th International Fragile X Conference in Detroit, Michigan.

23 Jul 2010

Burger King to offer breakfast meal that meets BKC's stringent nutrition criteria

Today Burger King Corp. announced it will offer a breakfast meal for children that meets BKC's stringent nutrition criteria for advertised Kids Meals, as defined in its pledge through the Council of Better Business Bureau's Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative.

21 Jul 2010

Iced tea increases risk of kidney stone formation and surgery

Unfortunately, for health reasons, Mulac has been forced to go cold turkey. All the iced tea he was downing helped to bring on an excruciating bout of kidney stones that eventually led to surgery at Loyola University Hospital in Maywood, Ill.

21 Jul 2010

KAI Pharmaceuticals completes enrollment in Phase 1 study of KAI-4169 for SHPT

KAI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held drug discovery and development company, today announced the Company has completed enrollment in a Phase 1 study of KAI-4169, a novel pharmaceutical agent for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism, which is a frequent complication of end stage renal disease.

20 Jul 2010

Vitamin D supplements could help preteen girls set stage for a lifetime of strong bones: Study

"Eat your veggies," "Don't run with scissors" and now "Take your calcium and vitamin D." A clinical study conducted at the School of Exercise Science at Australian Catholic University has shown that taking high quality calcium supplements like USANA's Active Calcium could help preadolescent girls set the stage for a lifetime of strong, mineral-rich bones.

20 Jul 2010

Mayo Clinic's July issue offers tips on ophthalmology, Alzheimer's and CKD

Here are highlights from the July issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource attribution is required.

20 Jul 2010