Calcium
A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bone by cells called osteoblasts and removed from bone by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones and is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods; some leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli and collards; canned salmon; clams; oysters; calcium-fortified foods; and soy foods, such as tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1 gram daily for both men and women. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.
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- Calcium channel blocker
Calcium channel blocker: A drug that blocks the entry of calcium into the muscle cells of the heart and the arteries. It is the entry of calcium into these cells that causes the heart to contract and arteries to narrow. By blocking the entry of calcium, calcium channel blocker (CCBs) decrease the contraction of the […]
- Calcium deficiency
Calcium deficiency: A low blood level of calcium (hypocalcemia), which can make the nervous system highly irritable, causing spasms of the hands and feet (tetany), muscle cramps, abdominal cramps, overly active reflexes, and so on. Chronic calcium deficiency contributes to poor mineralization of bones, soft bones (osteomalacia) and osteoporosis, and, in children, rickets and impaired […]
- Calcium excess
Calcium excess: An elevated blood calcium level (hypercalcemia), which can cause muscle weakness and constipation, affect the conduction of electrical impulses in the heart (heart block), lead to calcium stones in the urinary tract, impair kidney function through nephrocalcinosis, and interfere with the absorption of iron, predisposing the person to iron deficiency.
- Calculi
Calculi: The plural of calculus. Medically, a calculus is a stone, for example, a kidney stone.
- Calculi, renal
Calculi, renal: Kidney stones, by another name. A common cause of blood in the urine and pain in the abdomen, flank, or groin. Occurs in 1 in 20 people at some time in their life. Development of the stones is related to decreased urine volume or increased excretion of stone-forming components such as calcium, oxalate, […]