My calcium level is high.

Does this statement describe your situation? “My calcium level is above the normal range. I asked my doctor and they said it’s nothing to worry about, and we can just keep an eye on it. Is that okay?”

Short answer, no, it’s not okay.

So why do some doctors not follow up on an elevated calcium level?

Probably, it’s because the calcium is one of about 18 different test results that are reported on the usual blood tests.  It’s not at all unusual for one or more of the results to be slightly out of range. Depending on which test result it is, that may or may not be significant. For example, the serum sodium or chloride may fluctuate in and out of the normal range, depending on how much fluid you might have consumed in the past few days, and it really would not be worthwhile to be ordering repeat testing simply because one of these was slightly out of range. Same thing for potassium, which may be affected by some blood pressure medications, though of course it depends on how abnormal the result is.

But calcium is probably the most tightly regulated electrolyte in the body. There are four tiny parathyroid glands whose only job is to keep the calcium in the normal range. And although slight increases in other electrolytes might not affect the body much, even a slight elevation in the serum calcium that persists can have major effects on several body systems, including the bones, kidneys, muscles, nerves, brain, heart, and others. Not all doctors have a clear understanding of the particular importance of being sure the calcium is in the normal range. What’s more, although the other electrolytes can be slightly elevated for lots of different reasons, if the calcium is even a little bit elevated, and persists, it’s almost always because of just one reason, and that is, an overactive parathyroid gland. So if your calcium level is elevated, even a little bit, pay attention, and be sure your doctor checks out your parathyroid function.

If your calcium is high because of hyperparathyroidism, and you would like to schedule an appointment, click here.