title: Calcium status in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In postmenopausal women, the two major causes of bone loss are oestrogen deficiency after menopause and age related processes. Bone turnover increases to high levels and oestrogen deficiency may induce calcium loss by indirect effects on extra skeletal calcium homeostasis. Objective of this study was to evaluate calcium status in pre-menopausal and postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross sectional study was carried out in 34 premenopausal women and 33 postmenopausal women, in Department of Physiology, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore. Height and weight of each woman were taken to find out the body mass index (BMI). Serum calcium, parathyroid hormone and calcitonin levels of each subject were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Premenopausal women were obese (BMI>30 Kg/m2) while postmenopausal women were overweight (BMI>25 Kg/m2). Serum calcium levels were significantly lower in postmenopausal women than in pre-menopausal women, while serum parathyroid hormone levels were significantly higher in postmenopausal woman. Serum calcitonin level was not significantly different in the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postmenopausal women are calcium deficient and have increased bone turnover as indicated by increased serum parathyroid hormone levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. hj.qureshi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hamid Javaid
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Zafar Altaf
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Jafary
authors.forename: Muhammad Usman
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Bashir
authors.forename: Naghmana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Latif
authors.forename: Zeeshan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Riaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010154:Pakistan; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium