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.

Molecular gatekeepers that regulate calcium ions vital for muscle health and repair

Calcium ions are essential to how muscles work effectively, playing a starring role in how and when muscles contract, tap energy stores to keep working and self-repair damage.

31 Oct 2019

Study identifies a kinase as potential target to treat heart failure

An unexplored kinase in heart muscle cells may be a good target to treat heart failure, a disease that is only incrementally delayed by existing therapies.

31 Oct 2019

New strategies and approaches to treat patients with hypertension

While studies of hypertension have been performed worldwide in a variety of epidemiological settings such as diabetes, renal function, obesity and thyroid disorders, there is a need to identify appropriate treatment strategies.

30 Oct 2019

New contrast agent improves MRI diagnosis of early liver fibrosis

A new compound has been invented to bind to liver cells that are in the early stages of damage, thus making it easier to pick them up using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

30 Oct 2019

New study implicates role of HDAC9 gene in calcification of the human aorta

Arterial wall calcification is the buildup of calcium in the blood vessel walls, which can often be a predictor of serious cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. Scientists have long pointed to family history as one possible cause for this hardening of the arteries, but a new study published in Nature Genetics implicates a specific gene - HDAC9 - in the calcification of the human aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body.

29 Oct 2019

Gabapentinoid medications increasingly prescribed off-label for adults with cancer

Between 2005 and 2015, as the opioid crisis in America came into focus, prescriptions for gabapentinoid medications -- gabapentin and pregabalin -- to adults with cancer saw a two-fold increase, a University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center study has found.

29 Oct 2019

First-line antihypertensives may not be most effective, study shows

Thiazide diuretics demonstrate better effectiveness and cause fewer side effects than ACE inhibitors as first-line antihypertensive drugs, according to a report published Oct. 24 in The Lancet.

25 Oct 2019

Most popular first-line treatment for hypertension may be less effective than alternative drugs

A new multinational study shows that the most popular first-line treatment for hypertension is less effective and has more side effects than an alternative that's prescribed much less often.

25 Oct 2019

Mung bean protein supplement can improve physical strength without exercise, study shows

People have a number of reasons for adopting plant-based diets, from improving their health to concerns about animal treatment to a desire to minimize their carbon footprint. But there is one good reason to be mindful of how they do so: the possibility of becoming nutrient deficient.

23 Oct 2019

Taste neurons could be controlling feeding behaviour find researchers

Researchers from the University of California, Riverside used a common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) to find the association between taste neurons and control of feeding behaviours. They noted that if they genetically modulated these flies, they could make them selectively avoid certain chemicals including acids, bitter compounds, salty substances etc. The results of their study appeared in the October issue of the journal Cell Reports.

22 Oct 2019

Researchers develop simple, low-cost way to predict preeclampsia

Australian researchers have developed a way to predict the onset of a deadly pregnancy condition that kills 76,000 women and half a million babies each year, mostly in developing countries.

22 Oct 2019

High consumption of dairy products linked to increased prostate cancer risk

A high consumption of dairy products, like milk and cheese, appears to be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to research published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

21 Oct 2019

Research finds lower bone density among adults with undiagnosed celiac disease

Research by George Mason University College of Health and Human Services found that adults who likely had undiagnosed celiac disease had lower bone density than the adults without UCD, although they consumed more calcium and phosphorous.

17 Oct 2019

Gene mutations in the ClC-2 chloride channel cause high blood pressure, kidney damage

When the adrenal gland produces too much aldosterone, this often leads to high blood pressure and kidney damage (hyperaldosteronism). It has only recently emerged that several patients harbor a mutation in the gene for the ClC-2 chloride channel.

15 Oct 2019

Study evaluates hand-held technology to non-invasively fragment painful kidney stones

UC San Diego Health has enrolled its first patient to evaluate an investigational hand-held technology to non-invasively fragment painful kidney stones.

14 Oct 2019

Committee calls for cheese products to display warning about breast cancer

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has called for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to push for cheese manufacturers to place breast cancer warning labels on their products.

14 Oct 2019

Study highlights role of patient maximizing-minimizing preferences in thyroid cancer surveillance

Not all patients feel the same way about medical treatment. Some are "minimizers," preferring to see a doctor as little as possible and to give health issues a chance to resolve on their own. Others are "maximizers" who want to treat a disease to the fullest extent possible, even if doesn't make a big difference in the overall outcome.

14 Oct 2019

How do gallstones form?

The human body is known to produce stones in various locations, most commonly in the kidneys, the bladder, the gallbladder and the appendix. Many of these stones appear without any obvious reason. However, a new study published in the journal Immunity shows the whole storyline for the first time: how gallstones are formed.

9 Oct 2019

More sensitive electrophysiology tools needed to study cancer cell populations

Bioelectricity of Cancer, a special issue of the peer-reviewed journal Bioelectricity, has just been published. Two promising discoveries are well delineated: an ultra-sensitive tool to detect cancer and a new therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy.

9 Oct 2019

Researchers identify new targets to treat fibrotic diseases

When it comes to repairing injured tissue, specialized cells in the body known as fibroblasts are called into action. Fibroblasts give rise to healing cells called myofibroblasts, which generally is good in the short term - but bad when myofibroblast activation gets out of hand.

4 Oct 2019

Calcium News and Research

Further Reading

Molecular gatekeepers that regulate calcium ions vital for muscle health and repair

Study identifies a kinase as potential target to treat heart failure

New strategies and approaches to treat patients with hypertension

New contrast agent improves MRI diagnosis of early liver fibrosis

New study implicates role of HDAC9 gene in calcification of the human aorta

Gabapentinoid medications increasingly prescribed off-label for adults with cancer

First-line antihypertensives may not be most effective, study shows

Most popular first-line treatment for hypertension may be less effective than alternative drugs

Mung bean protein supplement can improve physical strength without exercise, study shows

Taste neurons could be controlling feeding behaviour find researchers

Researchers develop simple, low-cost way to predict preeclampsia

High consumption of dairy products linked to increased prostate cancer risk

Research finds lower bone density among adults with undiagnosed celiac disease

Gene mutations in the ClC-2 chloride channel cause high blood pressure, kidney damage

Study evaluates hand-held technology to non-invasively fragment painful kidney stones

Committee calls for cheese products to display warning about breast cancer

Study highlights role of patient maximizing-minimizing preferences in thyroid cancer surveillance

How do gallstones form?

More sensitive electrophysiology tools needed to study cancer cell populations

Researchers identify new targets to treat fibrotic diseases

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