Aside from its effects on bone growth, its various effects are only incompletely understood.
Calcium is involved in bone growth and maintenance, while vitamin D helps bones absorb the calcium.
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But there is a minority view, that they are not real fractures at all but merely indicate anomalies in bone growth.
This mutation causes a change in one of the amino acid molecules that makes up an important enzyme for proper bone growth and formation.
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The Spine Journal published a paper saying that side effects for Infuse, a protein drug used to cause bone growth, were not properly included in medical journal articles.
The bad version of the gene appears to boost osteoporosis risk by limiting the production of the BMP-2 protein, a key molecular stimulator of bone growth, says Dr. Stefansson.
This finding suggests that hip fractures might arise from a mismatch between the genetic drive for bone growth and the environmental influences which affect the mineralisation of bones during childhood.
Dr Jon Tobias, a consultant senior lecturer in the rheumatology department at Bristol Royal Infirmary and advisor to the National Osteoporosis Society, said a drug that could stimulate bone growth, rather than simply arrest deterioration, should be more effective at preventing fractures.
But as Matthew Herper observed back in June, Medtronic has received something of a black eye this year in connection with its promotion of a key product, recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2, (rhBMP-2) which is designed to speed healthy bone growth and fusion in patients with back pain.
Medtronic 's ( MDT - news - people ) spine surgery business is dominated by a procedure called spinal fusion, in which two of the segments of the backbone, called vertebrae, are fused together using metal rods and cages, bone taken from elsewhere in the body, and protein drugs that stimulate bone growth.
Because most businesses have trimmed their expense structures to the bone, any revenue growth has an out-sized effect on profits.
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The company's femur implant is dense where stiffness and strength is required, but it also has strong lattice structures which would encourage the growth of bone onto the implant.
Overuse of vitamin D, a substance that promotes the growth of bone and teeth in children, can be particularly toxic, as can overuse of the mineral iron by older adults.
First of all, at 16 years old you are in the midst of an important period for growth and bone development, and losing weight too quickly (more than 1-2 pounds per week), could result in bone loss which could affect bone density in adulthood.
Investors are aware that corporate managers have cut expenses to the bone, and they remain haunted by a lack of topline revenue growth.
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As well as infertility, Turner Syndrome also causes growth problems and is associated with heart, kidney and thyroid problems, bone disorders and hearing and ear problems.
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