Effect of lowering dietary calcium intake on fractional whole body calcium retention

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism Vol. 67; no. 1; p. 62
• Main Authors: Dawson-Hughes, B, Stern, D T, Shipp, C C, Rasmussen, H M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.1988
• Subjects: Absorption; Adult; Aged; Calcitriol - blood; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium Radioisotopes; Calcium, Dietary - administration & dosage; Calcium, Dietary - metabolism; Diet; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Parathyroid Hormone - blood; Reference Values; Research Design; Time Factors; Whole-Body Counting
• ISSN: 0021-972X
• DOI: 10.1210/jcem-67-1-62

Although fractional calcium absorption is known to vary inversely with calcium intake, the extent and timing of individual hormonal and calcium absorption responses to altered calcium intake have not been defined. We measured fractional whole body retention of orally ingested 47Ca, an index of calcium absorption, in nine normal women after they had eaten a 2000-mg calcium diet for 8 weeks and a 300-mg calcium diet for 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. After the diet change, serum intact PTH (32.2% increase; P = 0.005), serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D; 43.8% increase; P = 0.003], and fractional whole body calcium retention (42.8% increase; P = 0.004) increased within 1 week. Although the PTH and calcium retention responses remained fairly constant throughout the low calcium intake period, serum 1,25-(OH)2D concentrations declined toward baseline after week 1. Thus, the late increase in calcium retention may have resulted from calcium absorption that was independent of 1,25-(OH)2D stimulation.