Calcium, Ionized

Overview:

About half the calcium in your blood is bound to proteins, mainly albumin, and is not biologically active. The remainder circulates free, and it is that free fraction that nerves, muscles and bones actually use. A standard total calcium measures both together, which becomes a problem when albumin is abnormal, as it often is in liver disease, kidney disease and critical illness, because the total can look normal while the active portion is not. Measuring ionized calcium directly avoids that. It is used when parathyroid conditions are being investigated, during some surgical procedures, and where total calcium results do not fit the clinical picture.

Categories:

Bone Health, Kidney

Biomarkers:

1 biomarker