Calcium Test

Price: HK$780 / person

This test includes: 

1. Calcium – to check if the calcium level in blood is adequate
2. 25 – OH Vitamin D – measures the level of vitamin D in your body

Calcium in our body

About 99% of calcium is stored in our bones and teeth, while the remaining 1% is stored in blood. When our blood calcium level is low, calcium is released from bones to help maintain it. If calcium is continually released, there will be an excessive loss of calcium and a decrease in bone density, making the bones become weak and fragile. Therefore, calcium intake is vital to prevent osteoporosis. Adequate calcium intake is crucial during childhood and adolescence to strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis in the future.

For young healthy individuals, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old ones, hence your bone mass increases. This is likely to continue to around age 30. After that, your bone mass will gradually decrease.

What determines your risks of getting osteoporosis ? Depending on how much bone mass you attain by the age of 30, and how fast you lose it after that. In other words, if you attained a higher bone mass when you were young, then you are less likely to develop osteoporosis later on in life.

What is Osteoporosis ?

Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease of bone which leads to a reduction in bone density. The affected bones become thinner, and are more likely to break (fractures) which may result in pain and other complications.

Osteopenia is a loss of bone mineral density that weakens bones. A person may have low bone mass at any age but not develop osteoporosis. However, if a person has low bone mass and continues to lose bone density, this may lead to osteoporosis.

Risk factors of developing Osteoporosis

• Age factor, older people
• Women, around the time of Menopause
• Family history of Osteoporosis
• Smoking
• Lack of calcium and vitamin D intake
• Excessive drinking
• Excessive coffee drinking

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for bone health.  Vitamin D helps calcium absorption in the gut, and maintains normal levels of calcium and phosphate in blood, keeping bones strong.  Most of the vitamin D in our body is made when the skin is exposed to sunlight.  A small amount of vitamin D comes from foods.

More reference︰ National Institute of Health (NIH)   /  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health  /   MedlinePlus / Department of Health

Other types of checkups: 

Full body checkup

Hormone Checkup

Hepatitis Screening 

Booking Procedure

For more details, please click on Check-up items.