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A member asked:
What's the difference between calcium and ionized calcium blood test? thank you.
7 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Ionized: Calcium not attached to proteins are measured for when levels of this element are needed for very precise adjustment in certain diseases. These test are not readily available and are quite costly.
Answered 3/2/2014
4.4k views
Basic chemistry: About half of the calcium in your blood is protein-bound, mostly to albumin, and therefore exerts no phsyiologic effect. The rest is the active form and is what is regulated and what matters. The ionized calcium can be estimated from a formula using albumin, or measured directly by a more difficult technique. Total calcium is easy to measure.
Answered 3/23/2014
4.4k views
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People also searched for:
What does ionized calcium blood test check for?
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