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.

Strontium ranelate may reduce spinal, non-spinal, hip and other fractures in older women with osteoporosis

Strontium ranelate, a new oral medication on the horizon, may reduce spinal, non-spinal, hip and other fractures in older women with osteoporosis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

18 Oct 2004

Study increases likelihood that MRI could be used as predictive technology to determine which patients should be placed on statin therapy for atherosclerosis

Using modified magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, researchers at Johns Hopkins have been able to detect the early benefits of a cholesterol-lowering medication much sooner than before.

11 Oct 2004

Certain blood pressure drugs may slow the deterioration of Alzheimer's disease

Certain blood pressure drugs may slow the deterioration of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the October 12 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Oct 2004

Folate can help women reduce their risk of developing high blood pressure

Young women who consume more than 800 micrograms (ug) of folate per day can reduce their risk of developing high blood pressure by almost a third compared to those who consume less than 200 ug/day, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's 58th Annual High Blood Pressure Research Conference.

11 Oct 2004

New research tackles child obesity through the introduction of a computerized nutritional tool known

With government figures estimating 30 percent of all U.S. children are overweight or at risk for being too heavy, there is a necessity for innovative new strategies to prevent these young people from becoming overweight or obese adults.

10 Oct 2004

Researchers have created a theoretical model that may shed light on a brain science mystery

A research team based at Brown University has created a theoretical model that may shed light on a brain science mystery: What happens to cells when humans learn and remember?

7 Oct 2004

Vertigo sufferers may be suprised to learn just how easily curable their conditions are

A Baylor College of Medicine study on the most common form of vertigo illustrates that certain motions, not medications, can eliminate the vestibular problem’s disorienting effects.

5 Oct 2004

Research helps to understand the basic mechanism that underlies how neurons communicate

Nerve cells with a mutant calcium channel don't communicate as effectively as those with a normal calcium channel, according Saint Louis University research that is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition the week of Oct. 4.

5 Oct 2004

People with asthma can drink milk too!

Got asthma but want milk? Breathe easy, drink up and rest assured that your three daily serves of dairy foods will not trigger or exacerbate your asthma symptoms.

5 Oct 2004

Sibling history is a better predictor of coronary heart disease than parental history or traditional risk factor scoring

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that sibling history -- whether or not a brother or sister had early heart disease -- is a better predictor of a person's likelihood of developing coronary heart disease than parental history or traditional risk factor scoring.

4 Oct 2004

Researchers pinpoint genetic cause of Timothy syndrome

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have pinpointed the genetic cause of a devastating but rare childhood disorder, called Timothy syndrome, which underlies a form of severe cardiac arrhythmia.

4 Oct 2004

High blood pressure can effect many life activities, including sex

Despite its seeming invisibility, high blood pressure is dangerous, even deadly. Its effects can linger throughout many life activities, including sex.

29 Sep 2004

Studies confirm that chronic kidney disease independently increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease

A pair of new epidemiology studies confirms that chronic kidney disease independently increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, even among people with early kidney disease and after considering other risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

29 Sep 2004

High calcium intake and vigorous exercise is the key to optimal increases in bone density

Prepubescence is a critical time for building bone mass in children. Strong bones are important for obvious reasons in growth and development. It is widely accepted that calcium intake and physical activity are two ways one can positively impact bone density.

27 Sep 2004

Discovery of how protein in teeth controls bone-like crystals to form steely enamel

Bone and enamel start with the same calcium-phosphate crystal building material but end up quite different in structure and physical properties.

26 Sep 2004

New culprit behind the brain injury suffered by stroke victims

Researchers have uncovered a new culprit behind the brain injury suffered by stroke victims. Their new study, published in the Sept. 17 issue of Cell, links brain cell damage to a rise in brain acidity following the oxygen depletion, or ischemia, characteristic of stroke.

18 Sep 2004

Consumption of milk seems to be evaporating

Just as the milkman disappeared from America’s cultural horizon, the consumption of milk seems to be evaporating, replaced by more — and more super-sizing — soda drinkers.

17 Sep 2004

Discovery of way to regulate brain blood could lead to new treatments for stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s

There may be new treatments for stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders, thanks to the discovery of a mechanism for regulating brain blood flow made by researchers at the University of British Columbia.

10 Sep 2004

Disruption of protein folding causes neurodegeneration, mental retardation

Excess accumulation in brain cells of a fat molecule called GM1-ganglioside (GM1) disrupts the folding of newly assembled proteins into their proper shapes, triggering nerve degeneration and mental retardation in children.

10 Sep 2004

Studies of human genetic variation have found strong evidence for the action of natural selection

One of the most comprehensive studies of the forces that have shaped patterns of human genetic variation has found strong evidence for the action of natural selection, which may help explain why certain people are at risk for a variety of conditions and others are not.

8 Sep 2004

Calcium News and Research

Further Reading

Strontium ranelate may reduce spinal, non-spinal, hip and other fractures in older women with osteoporosis

Study increases likelihood that MRI could be used as predictive technology to determine which patients should be placed on statin therapy for atherosclerosis

Certain blood pressure drugs may slow the deterioration of Alzheimer's disease

Folate can help women reduce their risk of developing high blood pressure

New research tackles child obesity through the introduction of a computerized nutritional tool known

Researchers have created a theoretical model that may shed light on a brain science mystery

Vertigo sufferers may be suprised to learn just how easily curable their conditions are

Research helps to understand the basic mechanism that underlies how neurons communicate

People with asthma can drink milk too!

Sibling history is a better predictor of coronary heart disease than parental history or traditional risk factor scoring

Researchers pinpoint genetic cause of Timothy syndrome

High blood pressure can effect many life activities, including sex

Studies confirm that chronic kidney disease independently increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease

High calcium intake and vigorous exercise is the key to optimal increases in bone density

Discovery of how protein in teeth controls bone-like crystals to form steely enamel

New culprit behind the brain injury suffered by stroke victims

Consumption of milk seems to be evaporating

Discovery of way to regulate brain blood could lead to new treatments for stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s

Disruption of protein folding causes neurodegeneration, mental retardation

Studies of human genetic variation have found strong evidence for the action of natural selection

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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