Floppy nais
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 3:18 am
I find this article interesting . Anytime I see an elderly person with
collapsed spine I feel the system has failed drastically.
Soft nails brings up
EXTREMITIES; NAILS; complaints of; softening nails (3) : lept., plb.,
thuj.
I have not ever used these in attempts to treat osteoporosis.
I believe folk often take gelatin.
Any thoughts??/ Jean
Last Updated: Sunday, 10 July, 2005, 23:35 GMT 00:35 UK BBC online
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Fingernail test for bone disease
How the fingernail tester would look
A laser would scan the middle fingernail
Scientists have devised a way of testing for the bone disease
osteoporosis simply by scanning a patient's fingernail.
Both fingernails and bones contain a crucial bonding substance which
helps give them strength.
The team, including University of Limerick experts, say low levels in
the fingernail indicate low levels in bone.
Their test, they say, offers a cheap and accessible way of assessing if
someone needs to go for further checks.
The idea has been nominated for the Medical Futures - Innovation
Awards, due to be announced later this year.
Floppy nails
Osteoporosis is a weakening of the bones that can lead to breaks which
are difficult to heal.
This test could be a low cost and simple way of assessing someone's
risk and if they need to go for further checks
Mark Towler
It affects one in three women and one in 12 men and is responsible for
200,000 broken bones per year in the UK - and 40 deaths a day.
The first clue the fingernail could play a role in diagnosing the
disease came when a doctor noticed his osteoporosis patients had floppy
nails.
Mark Towler, a lecturer in materials at the University of Limerick was
asked to look at the properties of nail and bone.
Dr Towler checked the nails and bones in 10 people with osteoporosis
and 10 without.
He found that levels of disulphide bond - needed to bind one protein
molecule to another - were lower in people with osteoporosis.
In nails, the disulphide bond is needed to bind keratin - which gives
them strength.
For bones, the protein collagen needs disulphide bonds to stick
together.
Assessment
The researchers went on to look at another 200 people, who were also
given bone scans - the conventional way of assessing if someone has a
risk of osteoporosis.
Everyone shown by the scans to have osteoporosis was also found to have
low levels of disulphide bond.
Dr Towler said: "People are usually referred to hospital for bone scans
if their doctors feel they have risk factors, such as being post
menopausal, or if they smoke.
"This test could be low cost and simple way of assessing someone's risk
and if they need to go for further checks.
"It could be done in a GP surgery, or someone could send off a nail for
testing."
The researchers are now seeking funding to carry on their research so
they can evaluate what level of disulphide bond indicates that someone
is at risk of osteoporosis, or that they already have the disease.
A spokeswoman for the National Osteoporosis Society said it was an
interesting area of research.
She added: "Obviously, there's still quite a lot of work to do, to work
out the link between nail and bone health.
"There's interesting work that we're hearing about now, aimed at
assessing risk.
"Anything that can help doctors find an easy way of doing that is
always welcome."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
collapsed spine I feel the system has failed drastically.
Soft nails brings up
EXTREMITIES; NAILS; complaints of; softening nails (3) : lept., plb.,
thuj.
I have not ever used these in attempts to treat osteoporosis.
I believe folk often take gelatin.
Any thoughts??/ Jean
Last Updated: Sunday, 10 July, 2005, 23:35 GMT 00:35 UK BBC online
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Fingernail test for bone disease
How the fingernail tester would look
A laser would scan the middle fingernail
Scientists have devised a way of testing for the bone disease
osteoporosis simply by scanning a patient's fingernail.
Both fingernails and bones contain a crucial bonding substance which
helps give them strength.
The team, including University of Limerick experts, say low levels in
the fingernail indicate low levels in bone.
Their test, they say, offers a cheap and accessible way of assessing if
someone needs to go for further checks.
The idea has been nominated for the Medical Futures - Innovation
Awards, due to be announced later this year.
Floppy nails
Osteoporosis is a weakening of the bones that can lead to breaks which
are difficult to heal.
This test could be a low cost and simple way of assessing someone's
risk and if they need to go for further checks
Mark Towler
It affects one in three women and one in 12 men and is responsible for
200,000 broken bones per year in the UK - and 40 deaths a day.
The first clue the fingernail could play a role in diagnosing the
disease came when a doctor noticed his osteoporosis patients had floppy
nails.
Mark Towler, a lecturer in materials at the University of Limerick was
asked to look at the properties of nail and bone.
Dr Towler checked the nails and bones in 10 people with osteoporosis
and 10 without.
He found that levels of disulphide bond - needed to bind one protein
molecule to another - were lower in people with osteoporosis.
In nails, the disulphide bond is needed to bind keratin - which gives
them strength.
For bones, the protein collagen needs disulphide bonds to stick
together.
Assessment
The researchers went on to look at another 200 people, who were also
given bone scans - the conventional way of assessing if someone has a
risk of osteoporosis.
Everyone shown by the scans to have osteoporosis was also found to have
low levels of disulphide bond.
Dr Towler said: "People are usually referred to hospital for bone scans
if their doctors feel they have risk factors, such as being post
menopausal, or if they smoke.
"This test could be low cost and simple way of assessing someone's risk
and if they need to go for further checks.
"It could be done in a GP surgery, or someone could send off a nail for
testing."
The researchers are now seeking funding to carry on their research so
they can evaluate what level of disulphide bond indicates that someone
is at risk of osteoporosis, or that they already have the disease.
A spokeswoman for the National Osteoporosis Society said it was an
interesting area of research.
She added: "Obviously, there's still quite a lot of work to do, to work
out the link between nail and bone health.
"There's interesting work that we're hearing about now, aimed at
assessing risk.
"Anything that can help doctors find an easy way of doing that is
always welcome."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]