Calcium Total & Ionized

Calcium Total and Ionized is a simple blood test that measures the levels of free and bound calcium in your body. Calcium is an important component of bones and teeth and helps in validating the functions of kidneys, parathyroid gland and mineral absorption capacity of the bones. Calcium exists in two forms in the blood - free or ionized and bound to other minerals.

This test is usually prescribed when you exhibit symptoms of bone weakness or tenderness, vitamin-D deficiency, kidney failure or certain types of cancer. The levels are normal in healthy individuals. Lower levels reveal abnormalities or conditions like hypoparathyroidism, vitamin-D deficiency, pancreatitis, osteomalacia, kidney failure and alcoholism. Higher than normal levels reveal conditions like hyperparathyroidism, tuberculosis, multiple myeloma, Paget’s disease and kidney transplant.