Tarsa Therapeutics, Inc. and Unigene Laboratories, Inc. reported preclinical data showing that calcitonin may have synergistic effects in combination with other drugs in reducing the collagen degradation associated with osteoarthritis. The data are being presented at the 2010 Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) World Congress in Brussels, Belgium. Unigene produces Fortical® nasal calcitonin product for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and Tarsa’s oral calcitonin is in a Phase III trial for the treatment of osteoporosis.

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Patients subjected to major orthopedic surgery seem to face a risk of developing a blood clot within a vein, known as venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, experts from the McMaster University say that this risk can be reduced by the usage of an ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin called semuloparin.
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Researchers from Loyola University Health System in Chicago, U.S., stated that binge drinking (consuming large amounts of alcohol within a short period of time) during teen years is related to an increased risk of osteoporosis and other health hazards with age. According to The Times of India (TOI), study-leader and bone-biologist John Callaci, PhD, Loyola University Health System said, “Lifestyle-related damage done to the skeleton during young adulthood may have repercussions lasting decades.”

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Revised labeling for prescription and over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) will warn that these stomach acid–reducing medications could increase patients’ risk of hip, wrist, and spine fractures, US health authorities announced. The FDA’s decision to add new precautionary information to PPI labeling is based on data from 7 epidemiological studies published since 2006. Six of the 7 showed a relationship between PPI use and an increased risk of fractures. Most of the patients in the studies were aged 50 years or older; the increased risk of fracture was seen primarily in this group.

New research shows increased muscle performance in sub-maximal activities, which in humans can range from everyday activities to running a marathon. With no current regulations in place, the scientists from Coventry University believe their findings may have implications for the use of caffeine in sport to improve performance. Caffeine is not currently listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as a banned substance at any concentration in blood or urine samples.

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Researchers at the University of Nottingham have invented a new class of materials that can be injected as a low-viscosity fluid into the body that, using body heat as the only trigger, converts into a tough porous material with mechanical properties that mimic human cancellous bone. The mechanism of converting from a liquid to solid is so gentle that the injectable bone can carry living stem cells into the body without compromising their viability.

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According to Phyllis Edwards, certified bone densitometry technologist and nutritionist with Bio-Imaging Osteoporosis Outreach Services, said that weight loss can often lead to bone loss, especially in people who go through cycles of losing weight and then gaining it back. “Many people lose bone mass when they lose weight.. This pattern for losing weight can jeopardize your bone health in later life, particularly if you already have risk factors for osteoporosis. This includes men,” Edwards added.

According to the results of an international study led by Taiwanese scientists, a common type of protein modification could be a cause of various health problems, including osteoporosis and hair loss. The research, conducted on mice, reveals that defective palmitoylation resulted in hair loss, severe osteoporosis, cachexia, systemic amyloidosis and early death in the animals, Academia Sinica said a statement.

Millennium Research Group (MRG), finds that 25% of the 150 orthopedic surgeons surveyed in its newest Physician Forum publication plan to reduce their usage of metal-on-metal hip implants over the next twelve months.  

Metal-on-metal hip implants have been the subject of close media scrutiny in recent months due to reports of metal debris and soft-tissue damage resulting in revision surgeries in some patients.

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