What is Calcium?
Calcium is one of the most important minerals in the human body. It is important for cell signaling and maintaining proper functioning of the heart, muscles and nerves.
It is necessary for blood clotting and is crucial for the formation , maintenance of teeth and bones.
Why is the Corrected Calcium (Serum) lab test?
The corrected Calcium Serum lab test measures the amount of calcium in the urine or blood.
What foods are high in calcium?
Dairy foods are the main source of calcium. It is also found in green leafy vegetables, eggs, broccoli, nuts and whole grains.
If I consume food fortified with calcium, will it change my lab results?
Consuming fortified foods will not directly affect calcium test results.
Should I be concerned about this test?
No, Measuring calcium is for screening purposes.
Can I perform this test at home?
No, this test cannot be performed at home.
Blood calcium levels indicate how much calcium is circulating in the blood. Diseases and conditions that disrupt calcium regulation can cause acute or chronic elevations or decreases in Total calcium is measured because the test is easily performed than the ionized calcium test. Total calcium is a good reflection of free calcium since the bound forms of calcium are typically each about half of the total.
Normal Calcium:
Normal total calcium result together with other normal laboratory results means that a person’s calcium metabolism is normal and blood levels are being regulated.
High total calcium (hypercalcemia) :
Common causes of high blood calcium are
Hyperparathyroidism - This condition is caused by a benign tumor of the parathyroid gland. Hypercalcemia in this form is often mild and can be present for many years before being diagnosed.
Cancer: It can cause hypercalcemia when it spreads to the bones and causes the release of calcium from the bone to the blood.
Some other causes:
Tuberculosis
Hyperthyroidism
Excessive vit D intake
Kidney transplant
HIV/AIDS
Thiazide diuretics
LOW TOTAL CALCIUM (HYPOCALCEMIA) :
Most common cause is low blood protein levels, a low level of albumin, this can result from malnutrition or liver disease, these may result from alcoholism or various other illnesses. When there’s low albumin, only the bound is low, Ionized calcium remains at an adequate level.
Other causes include:
Hypoparathyroidism (underactive parathyroid gland)
Extreme deficiency in dietary calcium
Low levels of Vitamin D
Renal (kidney) failure
Increased levels of phosphorus
To diagnose and monitor a range of medical conditions.
