Calcium and phosphorus
"It is essential to monitor calcium and phosphorus levels in people over 70 years of age to prevent osteoporosis."
DR. ÁLVARO GONZÁLEZ DIRECTOR. BIOCHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT
What are calcium and phosphorus and their functions?
Calcium and phosphorus are two of the most abundant mineral elements in the human body.
They are found mainly in the form of the mineral skeleton, in the form of a compound called hydroxyapatite.
- Calcium has some very important functions such as, among others, its participation in muscle contraction, nervous excitability, blood coagulation or in the secretion of exocrine glands.
- Phosphorus has important metabolic functions, participating in the regulation of enzymes and energy storage.
When are calcium and phosphorus tests indicated?
From birth and during growth, calcium deposits increase.
Around the age of 30, the maximum bone mass is reached and, from the age of 50, this bone mass begins to decrease.
A balanced diet manages to provide the precise amount of these minerals.
Only in the case that there is a problem in their absorption or elimination, it will be necessary to take supplements.
Diseases in which calcium and phosphorus tests are requested:
- Hyperparathyroidism.
- Hypoparathyroidism.
- Acute renal failure.
- Chronic renal insufficiency.
- Osteoporosis.
- Rickets.
Do you have any of these diseases?
You may need to have a calcium and phosphorus test
Analysis of calcium and phosphorus, what do they mean?
Calcium analysis
Due to these important functions, serum calcium levels are maintained at very low levels (between 8 and 10.5 mg/dl.) and the maintenance of calcium and phosphorus balance is carried out by three main hormones, parathyroid hormone (PTH), vitamin D and calcitonin, which act at the level of three organs: bone, kidney and intestine.
Paratohormone (PTH) responds to low levels of calcium by promoting tubular reabsorption of calcium in the kidney, elimination of phosphorus in the urine and also the synthesis of the active form of vitamin D (1,25- dihydroxycholecalciferol). In the bone, parathyroid promotes bone resorption, thus releasing calcium and phosphate into the bloodstream.
Vitamin D promotes the absorption of intestinal calcium and phosphorus. It also favors the intestinal absorption of calcium, an acidic medium and the presence of proteins, while phytic acid, present in some cereals, fatty acids or oxalate, decreases their absorption.
Calcitonin also regulates calcium levels since it is secreted when calcium levels are high and favors its deposit in the bone by decreasing bone resorption.
Phosphorus analysis
Most of the phosphorus is found along with calcium forming the bone.
Normal serum phosphate levels in adults range from 2.5 to 4.5 mg/dl, while children, because of their growth status, have slightly higher phosphate levels, between 4 and 7 mg/dl.
It is important to perform the extraction on an empty stomach, since the serum phosphate values decrease after meals.
To measure phosphate in urine, it is necessary to collect it during 24 hours, due to the wide diurnal variation in phosphate elimination.
There are numerous pathologies in which the phospho-calcium metabolism is altered and which can lead to hyper- or hypocalcemia. Among the causes of increased serum calcium may be hyperparathyroidism or tumors. Causes of hypocalcemia may include hypoparathyroidism or kidney failure.
Where do we do it?
IN NAVARRE AND MADRID
The Clinical Biochemistry Service
of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra
The Clinical Biochemistry Service of the Clinica Universidad de Navarra is responsible for performing the biochemical analyses requested by the medical specialists of our center.
We carry out technical quality controls to guarantee the proper functioning of the equipment and the highest precision in the results obtained from the samples.
In order to guarantee excellence in patient service, we offer the response with the results of the analyses in the shortest possible time, responding in only 46 minutes in some cases of general analysis.
Organized in care units
- General biochemistry.
- Electrolytes.
- Hormones, urine and proteins.
- Markers.
Why at the Clinica?
- Maximum speed in offering the analytical results.
- We carry out quality controls to guarantee the correct and most precise results obtained.
- We work in a multidisciplinary way with all the departments of the Clinic.
Our team of professionals
