August 1, 2006 Source: :
http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=4761 UW researcher promotes health in osteoporosis and chronic conditions People suffering from osteoporosis will benefit from work carried out by a researcher in the University of Waterloo's faculty of applied health sciences. Lora Giangregorio, an assistant professor of kinesiology, has been awarded a grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation's leaders opportunity fund. The fund provides universities with added flexibility to attract and retain scientists in a time of intense international competition for top researchers. Giangregorio's project, entitled Optimizing Osteoporosis Diagnosis and Management: A Multi-Faceted Osteoporosis Research Centre, has a total budget of $238,800, with $95,521 from CFI and the remainder from provincial and industry sources. The new award will provide infrastructure to conduct research aimed at understanding changes in bone geometry and structure with aging and immobility. As well, the research seeks to determine how to improve physical function and prevent future fracture in individuals at risk. "My overall research focus is the promotion of health in individuals with chronic conditions," said Giangregorio, who earned her PhD in kinesiology at McMaster University. "I am particularly interested in investigating ways to prevent fracture and improve mobility and quality of life in individuals with osteoporosis." Osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, leads to increased bone fragility and risk of fracture, especially the hip, spine and wrist. The disease is often known as "the silent thief" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. Osteoporosis-related fractures, sometimes called fragility fractures, have serious consequences -- up to 20 per cent of individuals who suffer a hip fracture die and 50 per cent of those who survive do not recover their pre-fracture mobility. Giangregorio's research team recently published a systematic review revealing that many individuals who suffer fragility fractures are not assessed or treated for osteoporosis. She said that another expert review highlighted the need for research in post-hip fracture rehabilitation. As well, she indicated that research in the area of spinal cord injury and exercise is limited and that the impact of exercise on secondary complications associated with spinal cord injury, such as muscle atrophy, decubitus ulcers (pressure sores) or osteoporosis, has not been well established. Giangregorio said she's also interested in research that aims to improve the evaluation of skeletal health using techniques such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (which measures bone density) and computed tomography (a medical imaging method). Her ongoing research projects include studying the effects of a new rehabilitation technique in patients with acute hip fracture; evaluating the impact of electrically stimulated walking on mobility and secondary complications in individuals with spinal cord injury; and understanding how to improve osteoporosis management in individuals who have had fractures. "The ultimate goal of my work is to reduce the human and economic burden of fractures for Canadians," Giangregorio said.
| 