Vitamin D News and Research

Latest Vitamin D News and Research

Scientologists target Aborigines with “drug bombs”

The Northern Territory (NT) Health Department of Australia last Saturday warned the Church of Scientology that its drug detoxification therapy, being promoted to Aborigines in Australia by the church was dangerous for people with kidney problems.

21 Nov 2010

Children's Surgical Centre offers no-cost surgery for children with frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele

Frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele is a type of facial malformation that is rarely seen in developed countries, but is quite common in many Southeast Asian countries, occurring in 1 of every 5,000 live births.

20 Nov 2010

Genetic differences impact winter vitamin D status

Vitamin D is somewhat of an unusual "vitamin," because it can be made in the body from sunlight and most foods do not contain vitamin D unless added by fortification. Synthesis of vitamin D in the body requires exposure to ultraviolet light and can be influenced by genetics, skin color, and sun exposure.

20 Nov 2010

Merck wins third FOSAMAX bellwether trial

Merck & Co., Inc. today said a federal court jury in New York found in its favor in the Graves v. Merck case, rejecting the claims of a Florida woman who blamed her dental and jaw related problems on her FOSAMAX use. With today's verdict, Merck has won three of the first four bellwether cases in the FOSAMAX litigation.

20 Nov 2010

DCR to present data on DaVita Cathaway program at ASN Annual Meeting

DaVita Clinical Research, a provider of clinical research and diagnostic laboratory services, announced today that 56 posters and five oral presentations will be presented by the Company's unsurpassed renal experts at the 43rd American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition from November 16 - 21, 2010, at the Colorado Convention Center located in Denver, Colorado.

19 Nov 2010

New anti-cancer drug targeting vitamin D receptor reduces PSA level in HRPC

A new anti-cancer drug aimed at vitamin D receptors on cancer cells has prompted encouraging responses in the levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen) in men with prostate cancer that has become resistant to hormonal therapies.

18 Nov 2010

Access Pharmaceuticals to present two oncology posters at CPR Conference

ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a biopharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary drug-delivery platforms to develop treatments in areas of oncology, cancer supportive care and diabetes, announced that two oncology posters are being displayed this week at the Innovations in Cancer Prevention and Research Conference at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX.

18 Nov 2010

Vitamin C can prevent and reverse sepsis

Physicians caring for patients with sepsis may soon have a new safe and cost-effective treatment for this life-threatening illness. Research led by Dr. Karel Tyml and his colleagues at The University of Western Ontario and Lawson Health Research Institute have found that vitamin C can not only prevent the onset of sepsis, but can reverse the disease.

18 Nov 2010

Health professionals invited for 1st Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting

Healthcare providers in the Asia-Pacific region are coping with a rising tide of osteoporotic fractures. The IOF Regionals - 1st Asia- Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting, to take place in Singapore from December 10-13, 2010, is an ideal opportunity for health professionals in the region to acquire the latest practical information on osteoporosis and related fractures.

17 Nov 2010

Research on CBS protein may lead to new drug design for homocystinuria disorder

University of Michigan researchers have solved the structure of a protein that is integral to processes responsible for maintaining a healthy heart and nervous system.

17 Nov 2010

Vit D deficiency does not raise stroke risk in African-Americans

While vitamin D deficiency is associated with fatal stroke among whites, it is not linked to more stroke deaths among blacks, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.

15 Nov 2010

Dreaded cod liver oil in a variety of flavours

The stomachs of the generation of 50 year olds and above, will be churning at the thought of their parents and grandparents serving up spoonfuls of the much dreaded cod liver oil. As a practice, parents giving their children cod liver oil has all but died, and yet, as a population, we have seen more and more inflammatory conditions effect people's lives, which are due in no small part to the 'modern day diet', which many of us live.

12 Nov 2010

Mutual accountability on women's and children's health goals essential to Millennium Development Goal success

This year, governments, foundations, businesses, multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations and health care professional associations publicly pledged more than $ 40 billion* to improve maternal and child health and save million of lives.

12 Nov 2010

Study finds arsenic improves survival rate in APL patients

Arsenic, a toxic compound with a reputation as a good tool for committing homicide, has a significant positive effect on the survival of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), when administered after standard initial treatment, according to a new, multi-center study led by a researcher at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

12 Nov 2010

Experts call for global agriculture reform to ensure food security as two rice conferences open

Experts attending the International Rice Congress in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday called for imminent action to change inefficient farming methods and expand the global rice supply in order to prevent rising poverty and hunger, Agence France-Presse reports.

11 Nov 2010

Lower-protein infant formula helps attain same growth rate as breastfed infants

Newly published findings indicate that infants fed a lower protein infant formula developed by Pfizer Nutrition gained weight at a similar rate to those who were breastfed, according to a study published online today in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Pfizer Nutrition has always recognized that breast milk is the best source of infant nutrition. The study established that infants fed a new, lower-protein infant formula attained the same growth rate and growth pattern as breastfed infants.

10 Nov 2010

Joint complaints attributed to breast cancer drugs not linked with inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune disease

A new study suggests joint complaints attributed to aromatase inhibitors (AI), popular breast cancer drugs, are not associated with inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune disease. Because of that, researchers say women who were primarily concerned about the threat of arthritis should be encouraged to continue taking the medication. The findings of the study will be presented Tuesday, Nov. 9 at the 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Atlanta, Georgia

9 Nov 2010

Sugar-sweetened drinks can increase gout risk in women

Women who consume fructose-rich beverages, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks and orange juice, are at an increased risk for gout, according to research presented at the Nov 2010, American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010

Manhattan awarded $244,279 grant under QTDP program

Manhattan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded $244,279 in funding under the U.S. Government's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) credit program. The Company has received this funding for its lead product candidate AST-726 for the treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency.

8 Nov 2010

Amgen wins Scrip Best New Drug award for Prolia

Amgen is pleased to announce that it has won the Best New Drug award for Prolia™ (denosumab), a novel treatment approved in the United States (U.S.) for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, at the 2010 Scrip Awards ceremony Nov. 4 in London. Named one of TIME's Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2009, Prolia is the first treatment specifically designed to target osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone.

8 Nov 2010