“Neurotoxicity and Neuroprotection”, the latest issue ofDialogues in Clinical Neurosciences, is available online at www.dialogues-cns.org.

“The nervous system is made up of specific elements (neurons and glial cells) which are orga-nized into networks. Each of these has its own particular activity, and its functions are coordinated byvarious regulatory systems.Some parts of the nervous system are characterized by their plasticity, and consequently theircapacity to respond in an adaptive fashion to events (both positive and negative). These events cantake the form either of an attack against the nerve cells (neurotoxicity) or of protection of these cells(neuroprotection).They may result from pathologies (depression, delusional syndromes, neurodegenerative dis-eases) or they may be linked to the action of either therapeutic agents (antidepressant medicationswith a neuroprotective action, for example) or to that of toxic agents (drug abuse)…” Read more »

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“Low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 5 (Lrp5) is a membrane protein acting as a coreceptor in canonical Wnt signaling. Lrp5 increases osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and function. The purpose of a recent study [1] was to use Lrp5-deficient mice to evaluate the potential role of this gene in mediating the bone anabolic effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH)…” Read the rest of this Osteoscoop issue »

Myocarditis, the last issue of Dialogues in Cardiovascular Medicine, is now available online at www.dialogues-cvm.org.

“The incidence of congestive heart failure (CHF) is increasing dramatically and CHF is now the most common diagnosis-related group for patients over 65 years of age admitted to hospital. Determining the etiology of heart failure is critical, as this defines the patient’s natural history and treatment options. Despite a full evaluation of patients with new-onset or progressive heart failure utilizing traditional techniques, including endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), approximately 50% of patients are deemed “idiopathic” in origin. A “virus” is suspected as the cause of most cases of nonischemic cardiomyopathy and, if true, viral myocarditis diagnosis and treatment represent a remarkable opportunity to alter the observed increase in cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. In this issue of Dialogues in Cardiovascular Medicine, the world’s experts in myocarditis address our current understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of this disorder…” Read more »

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Bone modeling and remodeling are responsible for the construction of the skeleton during growth and its maintenance during adulthood. Bone remodeling involves the removal of a quantum of bone from a surface followed by the formation of new bone within the cavity created. Remodeling is carried out at spatially discrete foci by teams of cells that form the basic multicellular unit (BMU). The number of BMUs and the relative amounts of bone resorbed and formed within individual BMUs determine bone turnover… Read the rest of this Osteoscoop issue »

Osterix (Osx) is essential for osteoblast differentiation and bone formation, because mice lacking Osx die within 1 hour of birth with a complete absence of intramembranous and endochondral bone formation. Perinatal lethality caused by the disruption of the Osx gene prevents studies of the role of Osx in bones that are growing or already formed… Read the rest of this Osteoscoop issue »

“Few studies have analyzed the geographical variations in the relationship between age and hip fracture incidence. The goal of this study [1] was to assess these variations among women under 85 within the same country. The study population included women aged 50 to 85 who were living in France in 2004. Hip fracture cases were identified in the French Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG)-like database using the diagnosis code for closed hip fractures and procedural codes for treatment…” Read the rest of this issue »

“Quantitative ultrasound has been shown to predict risk of fracture in various populations. However, this ability may be modified by the presence of previous fracture in very frail older people. The authors of a recent study [1] assessed bone strength by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and clinical risk factors at baseline for 1 982 institutionalised older people. Fractures were ascertained for 2 years from baseline and validated by X-ray reports…” Read the rest of this Osteoscoop issue »

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, the last issue of Dialogues in Cardiovascular Medicine, is now available online at www.dialogues-cvm.org.

“Over the past century, life expectancy has increased by approximately 8 years. Although this is a remarkable achievement, it is also a mixed blessing, and there is a distinct downside to this success, chief among which is the dramatic inversion of the population pyramid that is projected to take place in the not-too-distant future, made all the more acute by the drop in birth rates in Western societies. This change in demographics is likely to have major consequences…” Read more »

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The last issue of Phlebolymphology is available online at www.phlebolymphology.org.

“Postthrombotic syndrome is a frequent and fascinating problem, which is still not fully understood. Severe clinical consequences, especially recalcitrant leg ulcers, are a considerable burden both for the patient and for the general health care budget.
As Michel Perrin, Lyon, points out in his article, most patients with postthrombotic syndrome are treated conservatively, and duplex ultrasound is sufficient for diagnosis. However, in recent years various surgical and endoscopic techniques have been developed in specialized centers to improve deep venous hemodynamics, and this requires more detailed information before and after such procedures. The first article in this issue of Phlebolymphology offers a kind of checklist of information that be gathered by various investigations and used to tailor treatment to the individual patient…” Read more »

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Data from case-control studies as well as from a cross-sectional study suggest an independent association between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and prevalent lower bone mineral density. Among older PD patients in randomized trials, control group participants experienced bone mineral density (BMD) loss exceeding 4% per year, suggesting that PD is associated with rapid incident bone loss. Retrospective and case-control studies have suggested that PD increases risk for fractures… Read the rest of this issue.