John Aloia

..These ethnic differences do not support the hypothesis of an integrated musculoskeletal system, so that these two components should be considered separately. A prospective study is needed to confirm these findings...

..Black women have lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and higher PTH than white women. Recent evidence implicates PTH in adverse cardiovascular outcomes...

..However, some investigators questioned whether 25(OH)D concentrations above the concentrations associated with rickets or osteomalacia influence calcium absorption...

..Adequate calcium and vitamin D are needed to maintain calcium balance...

..Despite African Americans' reduced risk of osteoporotic fractures, such fractures remain an important public health problem for this population that vitamin D intervention studies have not addressed...

..We demonstrated the transient in a study of the response of bone density to calcium/vitamin D3 supplementation and show the hazards of misinterpretation if the transient is not considered...

..The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on dietary reference intakes (DRI) for vitamin D is reviewed, along with its implications...

..Optimal vitamin D status for the prevention of osteoporosis has been inferred from examinations of the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration below which there is an increase in serum parathyroid hormone (PTH)...

..We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial to test the hypothesis that vitamin D(3) supplementation would prevent bone loss in calcium-replete, African American postmenopausal women...

..Reports on the dose response to vitamin D are conflicting, and most data were derived from white men and women...

..Factors to be considered in analysis of serum PTH values in the upper reference range in patients with normocalcemia include obesity, race, 25-OHD levels, advanced age, serum creatinine, and dietary calcium intake...

..Indirect evidence suggests that optimal vitamin D status is achieved with a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration >75 nmol/L...

..To examine the relationship between bone mass and serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone in African-American adolescent girls...

..These findings, together with the detection of the MC3-R in all of these cell types, indicate a role for the melanocortin system in chondrogenesis...

..These in vivo data show that ADX enhances linear growth and the results of gamma2-MSH treatment suggest that the melanocortin system plays a role in linear growth...

..Because the actions of ACTH are mediated through known G protein-coupled receptors, the melanocortin receptors, these data may provide a new therapeutic target in the treatment of growth deficiencies and cartilage degeneration...

..In conclusion, growth hormone administration to hypophysectomized rats attenuated triglyceride accumulation in bone marrow and inhibited the differentiation of stromal cells into adipocytes in vitro...

..The decrease in TBP is similar in both ethnic groups with black women losing -1.59 g/yr (-0.33%/yr) and white women losing -2.08 g/yr (-0.45%/yr)...

..Growth hormone (GH) deficiency in pediatric patients results in short stature and osteopenia. We postulated that the GH and parathyroid hormone (PTH) combination would result in improvement in bone growth and bone formation...

..In conclusion, GH activates new bone formation and increases bone turnover whereas 1OHD suppresses bone turnover. The combination intervention does not seem to provide any additive benefit...

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..02), also had an independent statistically significant influence on serum 25-OHD levels. We conclude, percentage body fat content is inversely related to the serum 25-OHD levels in healthy women...

..The present study results provide a critical evaluation of potential errors in the classic 3C model and present new formulas for use in selected populations...

..If this randomized clinical trial demonstrates a positive effect on prevention of bone loss, a large scale multi-centered trial with fracture prevention as an endpoint will have merit. ..

..A positive response to vitamin D supplementation would demonstrate the applicability of this safe, inexpensive strategy for preventing osteoporotic fractures in this minority population. ..