Calcium intake: good for the bones but bad for the heart? An analysis of clinical studies

ABSTRACT The proper dietary calcium intake and calcium supplementation, when indicated, are important factors in the acquisition of peak bone mass during youth and in the prevention of fractures in old age. In addition to its deposition in bone, calcium confers an increase in its resistance and exhibits important activities in different enzymatic pathways in the body (e.g., neural, hormonal, muscle-related and blood clotting pathways). Thus, calcium supplementation can directly or indirectly affect important functions in the body, such as the control of blood pressure, plasma glucose, body weight, lipid profile and endothelial function. Since one publication reported increased cardiovascular risk due to calcium supplementation, many researchers have studied whether this risk actually exists; the results are conflicting, and the involved mechanisms are uncertain. However, studies that have evaluated the influence of the consumption of foods rich in calcium have reported no increase in the cardiovascular risk, which suggests that nutritional intake should be prioritized as a method for supplementation and that the use of calcium supplements should be reserved for patients who truly need supplementation and are unable to achieve the recommended daily nutritional intake of calcium.

Lipoma arborescens de joelho em paciente com espondilite anquilosante: relato de caso e revisão da literatura / Lipoma arborescens of the knee in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis: case report and literature review

RESUMOLipoma arborescens (LA) é definido como uma proliferação vilosa lipomatosa da membrana sinovial com substituição difusa do tecido sinovial por células gordurosas maduras. A lesão é muito rara, envolve a articulação do joelho (região suprapatelar) e se associa a doenças articulares degenerativas. Descrevemos o caso de um paciente de sexo masculino, portador de espondilite anquilosante com quadro de monoartrite de joelho direito e aumento de volume importante na região suprapatelar. O diagnóstico de lipoma arborescens foi confirmado a partir da ressonância magnética do joelho direito.

ABSTRACTLipoma arborescens (LA) is defined as a villous lipomatous proliferation of the synovial membrane with diffuse substitution of the synovial tissue by mature fat cells. The injury is very rare, involving the knee joint (suprapatellar region) and is associated with degenerative joint disease. We describe the case of a male patient, suffering from ankylosing spondylitis with monoarthritis of the right knee and swelling in suprapatellar region important. The diagnosis of lipoma arborescens was confirmed from the MRI of the right knee.