Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy has been in the public eye recently for treatment of many orthopedic conditions including arthritis. A group recently performed a meta review of the current research on stem cell therapies and found many promising results. We have begun to see more stem cell therapies reaching the general population in the clinical arena. Most of these studies however focus on anecdotal experiences and not empirical data such as measurements of cartilage layers. So despite the significant advances in the arena of stem cell injectables, there is a need for “ additional high-powered and well-designed clinical trials to confirm the safety and efficacy of treatment”.

Click here to view the study

http://www.arthroscopyjournal.org/article/S0749-8063(14)00957-8/abstract

Calcium and Bone Health

A recent study out of New Zealand shows that older adults do not see significant benefits from increased calcium intake. The study “concluded that dietary calcium intake is not linked with reduced risk of fracture among older adults, and that there is no evidence from clinical trials that increasing calcium intake from dietary sources prevents fractures”.

In conjunction with many other studies, these findings bring a question to the medical community; is it time to reconsider the recommendations for calcium intake in the older population? Further research may necessitate changing the protocols for the treatment of osteoporosis in the near future. Click here for the full article.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/300219.php