What Is a Calcium Blood Test For?
A calcium blood test measures the level of calcium in your blood. It screens for multiple conditions affecting bones, kidneys, and hormones.
Why It Is Ordered
- Routine health screening (part of CMP)
- Suspected parathyroid disease
- Bone disorders (osteoporosis evaluation)
- Kidney disease monitoring
- Investigating symptoms of high or low calcium
What High Calcium Suggests
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Certain cancers
- Vitamin D toxicity
- Thiazide diuretics
What Low Calcium Suggests
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Hypoparathyroidism
- Chronic kidney disease
- Low magnesium
Important
- Total calcium is affected by albumin levels
- Low albumin falsely lowers total calcium
- Ionized calcium is more accurate but not always available
Source: NLM MedlinePlus, American Association for Clinical Chemistry.
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