Effect of Dried Plum on Bone and Markers of Bone Status in Men
OsteoporosisOsteopeniaThe principal objective of this study is to examine whether the addition of 100 g dried plum to the diets of men, regardless of their bone status, positively influences their indices of bone turnover in comparison with their corresponding baseline values and the control regimen.
Alendronate Prevents Microarchitectural Deterioration of Trabecular Bone in Early Postmenopausal...
OsteopeniaOsteoporosisThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the changes in bone structure as determined by magnetic resonance imaging measurements among early postmenopausal women after 24 months of treatment with alendronate, 70 mg once a week as compared to placebo
Effect of Assessing Risk for Osteoporosis on Physician and Patient Behaviors
OsteoporosisOsteopeniaThe study seeks to determine the impact of assessing risk for osteoporosis in women on patient and physician behaviors through a pharmacist directed osteoporosis screening program. Women will be offered a heel ultrasound to screen for their bone density and may or may not be asked questions about their risk for bone fracture. Pharmacists will counsel and educate all women on ways to prevent the onset of osteoporosis. Women will be telephoned three months after the screening and asked a series of 10 questions to follow up on decisions made by their physicians or changes made to their health behaviors related to bone health.
MAP-Calcification: MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers for Coronary Artery Calcification
Coronary Artery CalcificationCoronary Artery Disease2 moreCoronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of mortality in the UK with an estimated 80,000 fatalities in 2010. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is associated with atherosclerotic plaque burden and cardiovascular mortality. Mechanisms underlying isolated CAC have not been as yet been fully explained. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), known to act as regulators of gene expression, have also emerged as powerful biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of cardiovascular disorders and may be used in the detection of CAC. We aim to investigate the potential for a "microRNA-signature" in patients with CAC by performing a prospective, case-controlled study to identify pathways associated with CAC in humans. Previous research has demonstrated an inverse relationship between CAC and bone mineral density (BMD), suggesting that these processes may be linked. In a further substudy we plan to define the relationship between CAC and BMD as well as a number of markers of bone metabolism.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism (PHPT): Early Effect of Vitamin D
Primary HyperparathyroidismHypercalcemia3 morePrimary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common disease that occurs in 1 in 10,000 people every year. In the presence of this condition, the parathyroid glands produce excessive amounts of parathyroid hormone (PTH), which regulates calcium levels. The high levels of parathyroid hormone remove too much calcium from bones, and then deposit the excess calcium in the blood, which is then filtered into the urine by the kidneys. Bone health is threatened by excess calcium loss which weakens bone structure. Other affected organs include the skeleton (calcium loss leads to a "weakening" of the skeleton), and the kidneys (high blood calcium can lead to kidney stones). It is now evident that the majority of patients with even mild Primary Hyperparathyroidism are vitamin D deficient. In 2009, new international guidelines for the management of asymptomatic PHPT direct physicians to measure 25-hydroxyvitamin D (D3 or 25-OHD) in all patients, and to replete the reserve of vitamin D when the level is low (< 20 ng/ml). However, no recommendations for vitamin D repletion are given, because of limited data regarding the effects of vitamin D repletion, appropriate dosing and safety. Therefore, there is an urgent need for data upon which to base such recommendations, as well as are data on the effects of such treatment upon bones. Subjects with low vitamin D3 levels will be selected for this trial. They will be given enough vitamin D3 to raise their low blood levels from a low to a normal range. The assessments in this study, including the quadruple label bone biopsy, will allow us to document the short term effects of administering vitamin D3 on changes in bone. All participants enrolled in this trial will be vitamin D3 deficient. Participants will take an antibiotic (tetracycline) 4 times a day to mark the starting point from which bone changes will be assessed. After 3 days of tetracycline, a 12 week course of vitamin D3 or placebo will be initiated. Six of 7 participants will receive the study drug (active vitamin D3), while 1 in 7 will receive a placebo (sugar pill). Ten weeks later, another 3-day course of tetracycline will be given. At the end of 12 weeks, a bone biopsy will be done. A small piece of bone (about the size of a pencil eraser) will be removed from the hip (iliac crest). The bone will be analyzed to determine the effect of vitamin D3 on primary hyperparathyroidism. There will be 4 study visits: Screening, Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12 when the bone biopsy will be performed. Study Procedures: Medical and Social History Blood tests (drawn at the study center and local Quest Lab) 24-Hour urine collection for calcium and creatinine excretion Abdominal X-ray (to assess for kidney stones) Transiliac crest Bone Biopsy
Effect of Caffeine on Preterm Infants' Bone Mineral Content
Osteopenia (Disorder)Apnea of PrematurityThe primary objective was to determine whether caffeine therapy is associated with decreases bone mineral content using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Secondary objectives were to determine whether caffeine therapy is associated with increased incidence of nephrocalcinosis or bone fracture.
Bone UltraSonic Scanner (BUSS): Validation Study
OsteoporosisOsteopeniaThe aim of clinical study is to assess effectiveness of Bone UltraSonic Scanner (BUSS) versus densitometry (DXA) in osteoporosis detection.
The Effect of Physical Activity on Bone Mineralization and Immune System in Very Low Birth Weight...
Osteopenia of PrematurityStudies have demonstrated that brief (5-10 min a day) passive range-of-motion exercise is beneficial for bone development in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants. However, the optimal duration and frequency of exercise for bone development in preterm infants is yet unknown. The effect of exercise on the immune system was widely studied in adult and children. Exercise induces increase in IL-6, IL-10, and IL1ra. In adult even 10 minutes of flexion and extension of the wrist cause systemic increase in IL-6. The effect of physical activity on pro and anti inflammatory cytokines in preterm infant was not studied. Objectives: To assess weather twice daily exercise intervention will enhance bone strength compared to once a day intervention To evaluate the effect of a single exercise intervention on inflammatory mediators. Methods: Single center (Meir Medical Center), double blind, randomized control study.
Hormonal and Bone Turnover Marker Response to an Acute Bout of Resistance or Plyometric Exercise...
OsteoporosisOsteopeniaWe are interested in determining if there exist a short-term response in the serum markers and hormones that participate in the regulation of bone tissue formation and breakdown to a single, high-intensity exercise session of weight lifting (resistance exercise) or jumping (plyometrics). We are also interested in determining if the bone marker response to exercise is altered by changing the negative energy state caused by the exercise treatment, when subjects are given a moderate calorie meal.
Third Year Evaluation on Genistein Efficacy and Safety
MenopauseOsteopeniaBACKGROUND: Recent evidences showed that the phytoestrogen genistein positively affects bone metabolism with no clinically significant adverse effects in a cohort of osteopenic, postmenopausal women. However, there is still a knowledge gap regarding the long-term safety of genistein on the breast, the uterus, the thyroid gland and its efficacy in postmenopausal women. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety profile of genistein on mammary and thyroid glands and endometrium and cardiovascular apparatus and its effects on bone metabolism after a 3-year therapy with pure, standardized genistein (54 mg/day).