A Study of Calcium Level in Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

Objective: To compare calcium level in hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Methods: This was a comparative study. Patients with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism of all the age groups and irrespective of gender were included in the study. About 2ml of venous blood was drawn in a plain bulb for serum calcium analysis. Serum was separated by centrifugation and was kept at 4-8 oC till the estimation of calcium level. Serum calcium was estimated on semiautoanalyzer (Erba Chem-5 plus v2) by using commercially available kits. Results: The mean age of subjects of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism was 39.70±13.65 and 40.20±13.32 years respectively. Calcium level was significantly (p=0.005) higher in the patients of Hyperthyroidism (9.63±0.69) compared to hypothyroidism (8.95±1.06). Decreased level of calcium was in 33.3% patients in hypothyroidism compared to hyperthyroidism (23.3%). However, increased calcium level was in 6.7% patients of hypothyroidism compared to hyperthyroidism (10%) Conclusion: The serum calcium level is significantly altered in thyroid disorders. Therefore, it is important to check the levels of this mineral in all the thyroid disorders. Treatment of the primary cause should be done. If necessary, the supplementation of mineral should be given in order to prevent further bone complications.