Phosphorus and Calcium Metabolism in Elderly Women in a Resource-Limited Setting

Abstract

Introduction: Calcium and phosphorus are crucial to human physiology, participating in many metabolic processes. Phosphocalcic metabolism variations often go unnoticed in clinical practice, especially in the elderly. This study aimed to assess these metabolic abnormalities in women over 60 years old in Douala Cameroon. Method: We conducted a cross sectional study at two reference hospitals in Douala. We recruited women over 60 years old. Serum from participants was used for colorimetric determination of total calcium, albumin, phosphorus, and creatinine. PTH and total vitamin D were analysed using the 2-step sandwich immuno-enzymatic method with final fluorescence detection. Results: In total, 89 women were recruited for the study. The participants were mainly aged between 60 and 70 years (60.6%). Nearly 18% of them were taking calcium supplements. A small proportion (5.6%) of them were supplemented with vitamin D. Participants aged 70 - 75 years had the lowest vitamin D levels (22.95 ± 7.03 ng/mL, p < 0.05) compared to other age groups. Calcium supplementation was a protective factor (OR = 0.35, p = 0.0009) against calcium deficiency. Conclusion: This study indicates that phosphocalcic metabolism abnormalities are prevalent among elderly women from Cameroon. It also pinpoints the crucial role of calcium supplementation in preventing hypocalcaemia, particularly among women over 60 years old.