As we age, our bones are at risk of becoming more brittle and prone to conditions like osteoperosis. Following are tips for protecting our bones as we age from renowned orthopedic surgeon and anti-aging physician, Frederick Buechel, Sr., M.D. Dr. Buechel co-authored the best-selling book The Gene Makeover: The 21st Century Anti-Aging Breakthrough.

1. Nutrition:

Healthy bones require proper amounts of protein, calcium, magnesium and organic phosphates to mature, and remain strong. Consider eating foods that are rich in these nutrients such as spinach, sardines (with bones), lean meats and poultry, as well as, small amounts of low-fat dairy products. Organic products are preferred.

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(Best Syndication) Scientists in the US and Italy are able to reverse blindness using gene therapy. The results could have far reaching importance in the field of gene therapy which has been moving at a slow pace because of the expertise and knowledge required in “vector design”.

Gene therapy uses a carrier (a vector) to transport a therapeutic gene to replace the malfunctioning congenital gene. Although the science was first tried back in 1990 with an approved therapy to correct severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), little progress was made since then because of the complexity of getting the therapeutic genes across the cell membrane.

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MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a common and, in most cases, safe medical test. However, for people with kidney disease, MRI can cause a rare disease called NSF/NFD (nephrogenic systemic fibrosis or nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy).

NSF/NFD is a very painful and debilitating condition, when can be fatal. No consistently effective treatment has been found. Only a small percentage of cases have been successfully reversed.

What causes NSF/NFD

NSF/NFD is caused by gadolinium-based contrast agents used in MRI’s (magnetic resonance imaging). At this point, it has only been confirmed in people with kidney disease, although there have been some unconfirmed reports of people with healthy kidneys suffering from NSF/NFD.

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(Best Syndication) A study from the United Kingdom adds more credence to exercise; but this time with a twist. Researchers at the King’s College in London say that people who exercise have longer telomeres, which is a marker for biological age. The leukocyte telomeres are a region of highly repetitive DNA at the end of a linear chromosome. and they shorten over time. In other words, adding exercise may reduce the rate of aging.

The researchers say it is important to spend your “leisure time” exercising. “Such a relationship between leukocyte telomere length and physical activity level remained significant after adjustment for body mass index, smoking, socioeconomic status and physical activity at work,” the authors wrote. So working hard at your job did not count.

Fish Test

(Best Syndication) On Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of a genetic test to help determine the tumor recurrence risk and long-term survival for patients with relatively high-risk breast cancer. The test uses fluorescent probes to highlight sections of DNA to determine gene or chromosome abnormalities.

The technology is known as FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization). The FISH test is a cytogenetic technique used to detect and localize the presence or absence of specific DNA sequences on chromosomes. The florescent probes bind parts of the chromosome which show a high degree of sequence similarity. Using microscopy, lab technicians can find out where the fluorescent probe bound to the chromosome.