Ruchi Mathur, MD, FRCP(C) is an Attending Physician with the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and Associate Director of Clinical Research, Recruitment and Phenotyping with the Center for Androgen Related Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Viewer Question: I've heard that not all calcium supplements are the same. Which over-the-counter vitamins or minerals help build bones? Which brands or types are better than others?
Dietician's Response: You heard right, not all calcium supplements are the same. The supplements will differ by the kinds of calcium that they contain, the amount that they contain, and any thing else that is added to them (other minerals or vitamins). Along with that, there are other factors that will
affect how much of the calcium you will actually absorb, including medications that you are taking, your age, your vitamin D levels, the amount of calcium that you are taking and if you are pregnant. If you have any concerns over any of these, it would be best to speak with your physician before taking anything.
The most common forms of calcium in supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. The differences between the two are...
Calcium is a mineral
that is important in the regulation and processes of many body functions
including bone formation, hormone release, muscle contraction, and nerve
and brain function. Hypercalcemia is the term that
refers to elevated levels of calcium in the bloodstream.
Parathyroid hormone is a
hormone produced by the parathyroid glands, which are four small glands that
surround the thyroid and are found
in the anterior part of the lower neck.
Vitamin D is obtained through a process that begins with sun exposure
to the skin, the process then continues in the
liver and kidneys. Vitamin D can also
be found in foods such as eggs and dairy products.
Calcitonin is produced in
specialized cells in the thyroid gland.
Together, these three hormones act on
the bones, the kidneys, and the GI tract to regulate calcium levels in the
bloodstream.
Viewer Question: I've heard that not all calcium supplements are the same. Which over-the-counter vitamins or minerals help build bones? Which brands or types are better than others?
Dietician's Response: You heard right, not all calcium supplements are the same. The supplements will differ by the kinds of calcium that they contain, the amount that they contain, and any thing else that is added to them (other minerals or vitamins). Along with that, there are other factors that will
affect how much of the calcium you will actually absorb, including medications that you are taking, your age, your vitamin D levels, the amount of calcium that you are taking and if you are pregnant. If you have any concerns over any of these, it would be best to speak with your physician before taking anything.
The most common forms of calcium in supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. The differences between the two are...
One of the most common causes of high calcium levels (hypercalcemia), is an overproduction of
parathyroid hormone, or hyperparathyroidism.
Hyperparathyroidism occurs in 25
out of every 100,000 persons and tends to be more common in women.
It can be
the result of all four parathyroid glands producing too much PTH (parathyroid
hyperplasia), or one
gland specifically producing an excessive amount of hormone
(usually the result of a parathyroid adenoma,
or benign tumor).
Hypercalcemia can occur due to other medical conditions. These conditions can
vary in severity and chronicity, and may be life-threatening. Malignancy
is a common cause of elevated blood calcium. Up to 20% of individuals with cancer
will develop hypercalcemia at some point in their disease.
Other
conditions associated with hypercalcemia include:
Kidney failure can occur from an acute event or a chronic condition or disease. Prerenal kidney failure is caused by blood loss, dehydration, medication. Some of the renal causes of kidney failure are from sepsis, medications, rhabdomyolysis, multiple myeloma, and acute glomerulonephritis. Post renal causes of kidney failure include bladder obstruction, prostate problems, tumors, or kidney stones. Treatment options included diet, medications, or dialysis.
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
One in every 20 people develop a kidney stone at some point in their life. A kidney stone is a hard mineral and crystalline material formed within the kidney or urinary tract. Kidney stones symptoms and signs are, blood in the urine and pain in the abdomen, flank (lower back), or groin. A number of different conditions can lead to kidney stones including: gout, hypercalciuria, people with inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, and hypoparathyroidism. Some medications also increase the risk of kidney stones.
Lung cancer kills more men and women than any other form of cancer. Eight out of 10 lung cancers are due
to tobacco smoke. Lung cancers are classified as either small cell or non-small
cell cancers.
Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
Hyperthyroidism is an excess of thyroid hormone resulting from an overactive thyroid gland. Symptoms can include increased heart rate, weight
loss, depression, and cognitive slowing. Treatment is by medication, the use of
radioactive iodine, thyroid surgery, or reducing the dose of thyroid hormone.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There are different criteria classification schemes for dementias such as cortical, subcortical, progressive, primary, and secondary dementias. Other conditions and medication reactions can also cause dementia. Dementia is diagnosed based on a certain set of criteria. Treatment for dementia is generally focused on the symptoms of the disease.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. Symptoms include a lump in the breast or underarm area, nipple pain, change in breast size or shape, an inverted nipple, nipple discharge, and breast skin changes. Treatment may involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biological therapy, hormone therapy, or surgery.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
A peptic ulcer is an ulcer in the lining of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus. Ulcer formation is related to Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the stomach, use of anti-inflammatory medications, and cigarette smoking.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Fractures occur when bone cannot withstand the outside forces applied to the bone. Fractures can be open or closed. Types of fractures include: greenstick, spiral, comminuted, transverse, compound, or vertebral compression. Common fractures include: stress fracture, compression fracture, rib fracture, and skull fracture. Treatment depends upon the type of fracture.
Heart rhythm disorders vary from minor palpitations, premature atrial contractions (PACs), premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), sinus tachycardia, and sinus brachycardia, to abnormal heart rhythms such as tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular flutter, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), Wolf-White-Parkinson syndrome, brachycardia, or heart blocks. Treatment is dependant upon the type of heart rhythm disorder.
Hyperparathyroidism is a disorder of the parathyroid glands. There are two types of hyperparathyroidism, primary and secondary. When the parathyroid glands produce too much hormone, hyperparathyroidism is the resulting condition. Most cases of hyperparathyroidism have no evident cause. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, depression, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation, or confusion. Increased calcium and phosphorous excretion may cause kidney stones. The main treatment of hyperparathyroidism is parathyroidectomy.
Vitamins are organic substances that are essential for the proper growth and functioning of the body. Calcium is a mineral essential for healthy bones and is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, and normal blood clotting.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
Depression in the elderly is very common. That doesn't mean, though, it's normal. Treatment may involve antidepressants, psychotherapy, or electroconvulsive therapy.
Primary hyperparathyroidism is a disorder of the parathyroid glands, also called parathyroids.
"Primary" means this disorder originates in the parathyroids: One or more enlarged, overactive parathyroid glands secretes too much parathyroid hormone (PTH). In secondary hyperparathyroidism, a problem such as kidney failure causes the parathyroids to be overactive. This publication focuses on primary hyperparathyroidism.
What are the parathyroid glands?
The parathyroid glands are four pea-sized glands located on the thyroid gland in the neck. Occasionally, a person is born with one or more of the parathyroid glands embedded in the thyroid, in the thymus, or located elsewhere around this area. In most such cases, however, the glands function normally.
Though their names are similar, the thyroid and parathyroid glands are entirely different glands, each producing distinct hormones with specific functions. The p...
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