Hypercalcemia

Hypercalcemia, an elevated calcium level in the blood, is a serious situation. It can cause vague effects, such as a loss of appetite and fatigue. But if severe or acute, hypercalcemia can affect your muscles and heart rate. High blood calcium is not common, but it can develop due to illnesses like ocancer. TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images Hypercalcemia Symptoms Many of the symptoms of hypercalcemia are ones that are characteristic of other conditions. Sudden elevations in calcium levels are generally more dangerous than chronic hypercalcemia. Additionally, mildly elevated calcium produces different effects than severely elevated calcium. • Blood cell cancers: • Hyperparathyroidism: The four parathyroid glands, located adjacent to the thyroid gland in your neck, make parathyroid hormone (PTH). This hormone acts on the kidneys to prevent too much calcium from being excreted. High PTH results in hypercalcemia. You can develop high PTH due to a parathyroid overactivity or a parathyroid tumor. • Metastatic cancer: Cancer that No—not if you are healthy, that is. Your thyroid gland makes a hormone, calcitonin, that keeps your blood calcium level from getting too high. Diagnosis Generally, hypercalcemia is detected based on a blood test. If you have hypercalcemia, there is certainly a medical cause for it. Your medical team may order some other tests to help identify what that is. • Complete blood count (CBC): This test can help identify changes that correspond to l...

Overview The total calcium blood test is used to measure the total amount of calcium in your blood. Your body requires calcium to maintain healthy bones and teeth. It’s also essential for keeping your nerves, heart, and muscles functioning properly. Since calcium is so important for many of your body’s functions, its levels need to be within a tight range. A second calcium blood test, called the In addition to these two calcium blood tests, the level of Your doctor will typically order a total calcium blood test as part of a routine metabolic panel during a general physical examination. If you have symptoms of high or low calcium levels, your doctor may order a calcium blood test. Your doctor may also order a calcium blood test if they suspect that you have kidney disease, parathyroid disease, cancer, or Your doctor may request that you fast or stop taking certain medications or supplements before the test. These medications can include: • lithium • thiazide diuretics • antacids containing calcium • vitamin D supplements • calcium supplements Be sure your doctor is aware of the medications and supplements that you’re taking so that they can give you appropriate guidelines before your test. Additionally, consuming large amount of foods or drinks that To perform the test, your healthcare provider will draw a blood sample from your arm. A needle will be inserted into a vein in your arm, and a small amount of blood will be collected into a tube. The blood draw should take less...

Hypercalcemia is the most common metabolic complication associated with multiple myeloma. It can impact the disease process, outlook, and overall survival rate. The condition is known for its tendency to destroy bones. This leads to complications that are responsible for increased rates of suffering and death associated with the disease. Share on Pinterest WLADIMIR BULGAR/Getty Images Bones have two types of cells that remodel bones to make them strong. Osteoclasts destroy old bones, while osteoblasts build bone, helping to maintain shape and integrity. In MM, cancer cells produce substances that tell osteoclasts to speed up the rate they break down bone. This increases the levels of calcium in the blood. The exact disease process is still not known, since not all people with MM develop hypercalcemia. It can be present at the time of diagnosis or develop later in the course of the disease. It mainly affects people with a significant volume of People with MM who also have hypercalcemia often have advanced-stage cancer. A 2016 review suggests that hypercalcemia is A It also frequently affects people with Hypercalcemia can also cause A • • • high-risk chromosomal abnormalities In addition to these conditions, the researchers report that hypercalcemia was also associated with the presence of bone lesions and reduced kidney function. Of the 2,129 people with MM in the study, 19.5% presented with hypercalcemia at the time of diagnosis. These conditions can complicate treatment a...

Overview What is hypercalcemia? Hypercalcemia happens when you have higher-than-normal levels of calcium in your blood. Hypercalcemia can be mild or severe and temporary or chronic (lifelong). Calcium is one of the most important and common minerals in your body. Most of your body’s calcium is stored in your bones, but you need calcium in your blood as well. The calcium in your blood helps: • Your nerves work. • Make your muscles squeeze together so you can move. • Your blood clot if you’re bleeding. • Your heart work properly. Two hormones called Your body normally carefully controls the level of calcium in your blood, but certain medications and conditions can result in high blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia). What is the difference between hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia? Hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia are medical conditions that both have to do with the amount of calcium in your blood — the difference is how much. In the medical world, the prefix “hyper-” means “high” or “too much.” Hypercalcemia means you have higher-than-normal calcium in your blood. The prefix “hypo-” means “low” or “not enough.” Hypocalcemia means you have lower-than-normal levels of calcium in your blood. Who does hypercalcemia affect? Hypercalcemia can affect anyone at any age, but it’s most common in people assigned female at birth over age 50 (after How common is hypercalcemia? Hypercalcemia affects approximately 1% to 2% of the general population. Most of the cases — about 90% — are due to pr...

Definition Hypercalcemia means you have too much calcium in your blood. Alternative Names Calcium - elevated; High calcium level; Hyperparathyroidism - hypercalcemia Causes Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and Vitamin D help manage calcium balance in the body. • PTH is made by the parathyroid glands. These are four small glands located in the neck behind the thyroid gland. • Vitamin D is obtained when the skin is exposed to sunlight, and from food sources or supplements. The most common cause of high calcium blood level is excess PTH released by the parathyroid glands. This excess occurs due to: • An enlargement of one or more of the parathyroid glands. • A growth on one of the glands. Most of the time, these growths are benign (not a cancer). Calcium blood level may also be high if your body is low on fluids or water. Other conditions can also cause hypercalcemia: • Certain kinds of cancers, such as lung and breast cancer, or cancer that has spread to your organs. • Too much vitamin D in your blood (hypervitaminosis D). • Being immobile in bed for many days or weeks (mostly in children). • Too much calcium in your diet. This is called milk-alkali syndrome. It most often occurs when a person is taking more than 2000 milligrams of calcium bicarbonate supplements a day along with high doses of Vitamin D. • Overactive thyroid gland. • Chronic kidney disease or kidney failure. • Medicines such as lithium and thiazide diuretics (water pills). • Some infections or health problems such ...

Vitamin D toxicity, also called hypervitaminosis D, is a rare but potentially serious condition that occurs when you have excessive amounts of vitamin D in your body. Vitamin D toxicity is usually caused by large doses of vitamin D supplements — not by diet or sun exposure. That's because your body regulates the amount of vitamin D produced by sun exposure, and even fortified foods don't contain large amounts of vitamin D. The main consequence of vitamin D toxicity is a buildup of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause nausea and vomiting, weakness, and frequent urination. Vitamin D toxicity might progress to bone pain and kidney problems, such as the formation of calcium stones. Treatment includes stopping vitamin D intake and restricting dietary calcium. Your doctor might also prescribe intravenous fluids and medications, such as corticosteroids or bisphosphonates. Taking 60,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D for several months has been shown to cause toxicity. This level is many times higher than the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most adults of 600 IU of vitamin D a day. Doses higher than the RDA are sometimes used to treat medical problems such as vitamin D deficiency, but these are given only under the care of a doctor for a specified time frame. Blood levels should be monitored while someone is taking high doses of vitamin D. As always, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin and mineral supplements. • Dawson-Hughes B. Vi...

OVERVIEW • highly regulated cation • involved in: cell death, duration and strength of cardiac muscle contraction, muscle contraction in blood vessels, airways and uterus, coagulation, bone metabolism, neurotransmitter and hormone release… • Ca 2+ exists in the extracellular plasma two states: • free ionized state and • bound to other molecules (mostly albumin, rest – beta-globulins, phosphate, citrate) • ionized Ca 2+ concentration is inversely related to pH -> an increase in pH results in a decrease in ionized Ca 2+ Calcium levels • total Ca 2+ range = 2.2-2.5mmol/L (55% bound, 45% ionized) • ionized Calcium range (50%) = 1.1-1.3mmol/L • protein bound Ca 2+ range (40%) = 0.95-1.2mmol/L • complex Ca 2+ (10% – calcium phosphate, salts) = 0.05mmol/L CALCIUM METABOLISM Vitamin D • group of related sterols • cholecalciferol is formed in the skin -> in liver to 25-hyrdroxcholecalciferol -> in kidney proximal tubules to 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol -> this then helps calcium absorption in the intestine. • controlled by parathyroid hormone -> increases intestinal absorption of Ca 2+ -> increases renal Ca 2+ reabsorption -> mobilises bone Ca 2+ and PO 4 3 Parathyroid hormone • secretion increased by hypocalaemia & hypomagnesaemia • secretion decreased by hypercalcaemia & hypermagnesaemia -> mobilses Ca 2+ from bone -> increases renal Ca 2+ reabsorption -> increases renal PO 4 3 excretion -> increases formation of 1, 25-dihyroxycholecalciferol. Calcitonin • antagonist of parathyr...