The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2013 Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research was held from Oct. 4 to 7 in Baltimore and attracted approximately 4,000 participants from around the world, including basic research scientists and clinical investigators in bone and mineral metabolism as well as physicians and other health care practitioners. The conference focused on the latest advances in bone and mineral research as well as the translation of research into clinical practice.
In one study, Douglas Bauer, M.D., of the University of California in San Francisco, and colleagues found no relationship between calcium intake or use of calcium supplements and subsequent risk of mortality among older men. The investigators also found no evidence that calcium intake was associated with the risk of cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction and stroke.
"Within the limits of our study, men should be reassured that usual intakes of dietary calcium and use of calcium supplements do not appear to be related to an increased risk of mortality or cardiovascular harm," said Bauer. "Adequate calcium intake should be encouraged to maintain skeletal health, and use of calcium supplements appears to be safe when dietary intake is inadequate. Clinicians should continue to evaluate calcium intake, encourage adequate dietary intake, and if necessary, use supplements to reach (but not exceed) recommended intakes."
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In another study, Richard Prince, M.D., of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Australia, and colleagues found that calcium with or without vitamin D does not increase or decrease the risk of coronary heart disease hospitalization or death or all-cause mortality compared to controls.
"The efficacy and safety of calcium with or without vitamin D for the prevention of fracture in elderly women has become controversial. Concerns over the methodology of statistical analysis used in this debate have been expressed," said Prince. "To correct this, we undertook a meta-analysis of all currently published randomized controlled trials for calcium with or without vitamin D in elderly women to prevent osteoporotic fracture using stringent PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methods."
According to Prince, future meta-analyses should adhere to PRISMA guidelines to provide a more objective analysis of efficacy and safety from randomized controlled trials.
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Thomas Carpenter, M.D., of Yale University in New Haven, Conn., and colleagues identified a potential strategy to treat X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) rickets by inhibiting FGF23 activity using antibodies to this circulating compound.
"Administration of KRN23, an anti-FGF23 antibody, resulted in an increase in the renal tubular threshold for phosphate reabsorption. This action resulted in elevations in serum phosphate levels that lasted four weeks or longer," said Carpenter. "Considerable increases in 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D levels occurred; however, they were shorter lived than the phosphate response. No significant changes in serum calcium levels occurred and there were no serious adverse events in the study."
The investigators found that a single dose of KRN23 was safe and effective; however, further research needs to be performed for longer durations of therapy and in children with the disorder.
"If persistence of action over an extended-time course of treatment and an adequate safety profile can be demonstrated, this novel approach to treatment of XLH would be more convenient and potentially more effective than currently available therapies," Carpenter added. "XLH is a heritable form of rickets that has long term complications and currently has no available curative therapy."
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Didier Chalhoub, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues evaluated the risk of bone fractures among 5,700 older men and 1,000 women for up to nine years. The investigators found that men with sarcopenia, a condition that involves osteoporosis, osteopenia, and weak muscles, had the highest risk of bone fractures.
"It is important for us to understand how risky the combination of weak bones and muscles is for older men," Chalboub said in a statement. "Measuring both muscle and bone mass and strength may help identify men who are at risk of fracture before the breaks occur, and ultimately we should be able to decrease the fracture risk of the growing number of elderly men."
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