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.

Scientists identify gene underlying a disease that causes temporary paralysis of skeletal muscle

Scientists have identified a gene underlying a disease that causes temporary paralysis of skeletal muscle. The finding, they say, illustrates how investigations of rare genetic diseases can drive insights into more common ones.

8 Jan 2010

Young men with HIV infection have coronary atherosclerotic plaques: MGH study

A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) study has found that relatively young men with longstanding HIV infection and minimal cardiac risk factors had significantly more coronary atherosclerotic plaques - some involving serious arterial blockage - than did uninfected men with similar cardiovascular risk.

8 Jan 2010

New genetic findings may lead to better interventional therapies for obsessive compulsive disorders

A collaboration between the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and the Broad Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has identified a genetic locus on canine chromosome 7 which coincides with an increased risk of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) susceptibility.

7 Jan 2010

High or low blood calcium levels linked to increased risk of premature death in kidney disease patients

Abnormally high or low blood calcium levels are linked to an increased chance of premature death in non-dialysis kidney disease patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

7 Jan 2010

Authors explain why health care reform initiative should include CER

The current health care reform bills approved by the House and the Senate seek to expand health insurance coverage while containing costs; however, the proposed policy changes are not guaranteed to improve health for individuals or society, according to a "Perspective" article by faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College in the Jan. 6 New England Journal of Medicine.

7 Jan 2010

CCAC doubles its efforts to convince Canadians to prevent colorectal cancer

Following the results of the Angus Reid Strategies and the Applied Health Research Centre at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital survey conducted on behalf of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer finding that the majority of Canadians have a good understanding of the benefits of colorectal cancer screening, but are not taking action to get screened, the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada ("CCAC") is doubling its efforts in 2010 to convince Canadians that they must be more proactive concerning their health and the onset of colorectal cancer.

7 Jan 2010

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals reaches SPA agreement for Phase 3 clinical program for Zerenex

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) on the design of a Phase 3 clinical program for Zerenex(TM) (ferric citrate), its iron-based phosphate binder for the treatment of elevated serum phosphorous levels, or hyperphosphatemia, in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

6 Jan 2010

BioMarin Pharmaceutical receives marketing approval for amifampridine phosphate

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced today that the European Commission has granted marketing approval for 3,4-diaminopyridine (amifampridine phosphate), for the rare autoimmune disease Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS).

6 Jan 2010

Discovery of key process in bacterial infection could lead to new drug targets to prevent infection

Bacteria can swim, propelling themselves through fluids using a whip-like extension called a flaggella. They can also walk, strolling along solid surfaces using little fibrous legs called pili. It is this motility that enable some pathogenic bacteria to establish the infections - such as meningitis - that cause their human hosts to get sick or even die.

4 Jan 2010

Study reveals patient characteristics can affect image quality of MDCT scans

A large multicenter international trial found that the image quality of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans, used for the noninvasive detection of coronary artery disease, can be significantly affected by patient characteristics such as ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), and heart rate, according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

23 Dec 2009

Women using DMPA experience high BMD loss, researchers say

Nearly half of women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), commonly known as the birth control shot, will experience high bone mineral density (BMD) loss in the hip or lower spine within two years of beginning the contraceptive, according to researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

22 Dec 2009

Vitamin D rich food source for winter - Wild Alaska salmon

Today is the shortest day of the year. During the dark winter months, sunlight can be an insufficient source of vitamin D which is vital for the absorption of calcium and phosphorous. Low vitamin D levels have recently been linked to a greater chance of developing diseases including diabetes and heart disease, several cancers and the common cold.

21 Dec 2009

Women more successful at setting and achieving health and wellness goals

How will you achieve the “healthy” part of your New Year's resolutions? Your approach probably depends on whether you’re a woman or a man.

19 Dec 2009

Scientists use optical technique to trace out neurons interaction

Scientists at Harvard University have used light and genetic trickery to trace out neurons' ability to excite or inhibit one another, literally shedding new light on the question of how neurons interact with one another in live animals.

18 Dec 2009

Treprostinil drug reduces breathlessness in PAH patients, says study

Patients with a rare, deadly disease that mostly affects young women felt a dramatic reduction in breathlessness using an approved drug, according to study results published online today in The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

18 Dec 2009

Interleukin Genetics introduces the Bone Health Genetic Test

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. announced today availability of the Bone Health Genetic Test designed to detect genetic patterns associated with the development of osteoporosis-related outcomes. The test determines an individual's risk for developing vertebral or spinal fractures and low bone mineral density.

17 Dec 2009

AstraZeneca's CRESTOR receives favorable vote from FDA Advisory Committee

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee (EMDAC) today voted 12 yes, 4 no, and 1 abstention that AstraZeneca has established sufficient benefit to offset the observed risks to support the use of CRESTOR®

16 Dec 2009

New program to help maintain bone health in men with prostate cancer on ADT announced

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced a new program encouraging health professionals to help maintain the bone health of prostate cancer patients who are on long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

15 Dec 2009

New data suggests bisphosphonate drug may play a role in reducing recurrent breast cancer

Bisphosphonates are routinely given to women with postmenopausal breast cancer, but new data suggests that these agents may play a role in reducing recurrent breast cancer as well.

11 Dec 2009

Vitamin K2 in Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica

Cyanotech Corporation, a world leader in microalgae-based, high-value nutrition and health products, today announced its Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica® has achieved another nutritional first. Already the most nutritious Spirulina in the world, it is also a good source of Vitamin K2.

10 Dec 2009