Calcium - blood test

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Ca+2; Serum calcium; Ca++

Normal values range from 8.5 to 10.2 mg/dL.

Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

Higher than normal levels may be due to:

• Addison's disease
• Excessive vitamin D level
• Excessive calcium intake (also called milk-alkali syndrome)
• HIV/AIDS
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Infections that cause granulomas such as tuberculosis and certain fungal and mycobacterial infections
• Metastatic bone tumor
• Milk-alkali syndrome
• Multiple myeloma
• Overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or too much thyroid hormone replacement medication
• Paget's disease
• Prolonged immobilization
• Sarcoidosis
• Tumors producing a parathyroid hormone-like substance
• Use of certain medications such as lithium, tamoxifen, and thiazides

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Lower than normal levels may be due to:

• Hypoparathyroidism
• Kidney failure
• Liver disease (decreased albumin production)
• Magnesium deficiency
• Malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract)
• Osteomalacia
• Pancreatitis
• Rickets
• Vitamin D deficiency

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

• Delirium
• Dementia
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) II
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) I
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Secondary hyperparathyroidism

Review Date: 11/15/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).