ACUTE BIOCHEMICAL VARIATIONS INDUCED BY 2 DIFFERENT CALCIUM SALTS IN HEALTHY PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Despite the potential utility of calcium supplementation and the avail ability of many calcium supplements in the market, there are few data concerning the absorbability of different calcium salts in different c onditions. We have compared the acute metabolic responses following or al administration of calcium citrate (CC) or calcium gluconolactate an d carbonate (CGC) given to 20 healthy perimenopausal women (aged 48-55 years), Ten women received two effervescent tablets of CC (each conta ining 500 mg of calcium) and 10 women received two effervescent tablet s of CGC (each containing 500 mg of calcium), Before and on an hourly basis for 6 hours, serum total and ionized calcium, phosphate, and imm unoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured, Urinary calcium and creatinine were also measured. Both calcium salts induced signific ant increase in serum total and ionized calcium and in urinary calcium excretion; they also significantly reduced circulating levels of iPTH , The analysis of ionized calcium and iPTH response curves to CC and C GC administration revealed a significantly greater bioavailability of CC compared with CGC. Our data suggest that CC could be prefered to CG C for its characteristics of absorbability and bioavailability.