Effect of intravenous calcium load on the serum calcium level in postmenopausal osteoporosis (a study of the pathogenesis, and diagnostic use of the test).

Analysis of calcium tolerance in suggested to represent a valuable diagnostic aid in osteoporosis, particulary in the menopause. The serum calcium level was found to exceed 11.0 mg/dl 60 min after the intravenous injection of 3.6 mg per kg body weight of Ca++ in all patients with osteoporosis, while the level was normal at that point of time in every subject without osteoporosis, including patients with bone disease other than osteoporosis. Administration of norandrosterone decanoate or dehydroepinandrosterone to patients with menopausal osteoporosis resulted in normalization of the post-load hypercalcaemia. Calcium tolerance of menopausal patients without osteoporosis was not affected by dehydroepiandrosterone.