Calcium is im portant – but too m uch can cause real problem s

It’s hard to over-estimate the importance of calcium in our bodies.

You probably remember all sorts of adverts singing the praises of the nutritional value of milk, which is full of the stuff.

And you’re probably aware it’s a substance which keeps our bones and teeth strong.

Some people end up with a bit too much calcium in their bloodstream, though, like my patient in the surgery last week.

She’d been feeling tired, thirsty, queasy and had weak muscles and a sore tummy. It was hard to pin down what was wrong but a blood test pointed towards a specific condition.

The results showed that she had an elevated level of calcium, and subsequent testing demonstrated a higher level of parathyroid hormone.

This is a hormone produced in the parathyroid glands – four wee pea-sized glands which sit just behind the thyroid, in the lower neck.

Normally parathyroid hormone helps regulate the right amount of calcium throughout our bodies but in primary hyperparathyroidism, as it is snappily called, one or more of the glands begin to malfunction.

More of the hormone is released than there should be, causing the body to release more calcium from its calcium stores into the bloodstream.

The higher calcium level in the blood can then lead to problems like my patient was experiencing.

It can be difficult to diagnose but will often be picked up incidentally on a blood test.

Less commonly it is diagnosed after it causes complications, like kidney stones – which appear due to excess calcium deposits – or pancreatitis.

We’re not sure why this condition appears, but women are twice as likely as men to develop it.

In primary hyperparathyroidism, the condition may simply need to be monitored. However, surgery may be needed to remove the abnormal parathyroid gland or glands.

They won’t take out all four, though, even if they are all overactive – they only whip out a maximum of three-and-a-half, so that some parathyroid tissue is left.

Medication called bisphosphonates may be given to those with this condition in order to keep the bones strong and reduce the calcium levels in the blood.

Calcium supplements should be avoided, but not things like milk in the diet, as avoiding these could lead to brittle bones.