Mixed Bag

IOF position paper reveals enormous variation in worldwide usage of FRAX
One of the most important advances in osteoporosis management of the past decade has been the advent of fracture risk assessment algorithms. Today, rather than relying on bone mineral density values alone, doctors use tools such as FRAX, a widely available calculator, to help identify patients in need of treatment.

A new position paper by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Epidemiology and Quality of Life Working Group has assessed the uptake of FRAX worldwide. The study concludes that there were approximately 2.3 million FRAX calculations during a one-year period beginning in May 2012, with enormous variation in worldwide usage. Eurekalert!

Brain biomarker shows promise in heart
At present, there is no noninvasive method to confirm diagnosis of myocarditis, which can progress to heart failure and death. The current standard of biopsy is risky and often misses the disease. For this reason, there may be many people who aren’t aware they have the condition.

To address these deficiencies, the researchers looked at whether a biomarker for inflammation in the brain can be used in the heart. When scientists want a clear picture of the extent of damage from a brain injury, they use a PET scan to look for elevated levels of translocator protein 18 kDa, or TSPO. It turns out that TSPO is present in immune cells throughout the body. Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health

Cannabis during pregnancy endangers fetal brain development
An increasing number of children suffer from the consequences of maternal drug exposure during pregnancy, and Cannabis is one of the most frequently used substances. This motivated the study, published in the EMBO Journal, cunducted in mice and human brain tissue, to decipher the molecular basis of how the major psychoactive component from Cannabis called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC affects brain development of the unborn foetus. Eurekalert!

Scientists find genetic mechanism linking aging to specific diets
"These studies have revealed that single gene mutations can alter the ability of an organism to utilize a specific diet. In humans, small differences in a person's genetic makeup that change how well these genes function, could explain why certain diets work for some but not others," said Curran, corresponding author of the study and assistant professor with joint appointments in the USC Davis School of Gerontology, the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Eurekalert!