Association of calcaemic status with survival of elderly inpatients

In 485 long-term geriatric inpatients (mean age 80 years), serum ionized calcium (CaI) concentrations were significantly associated with 2-year mortality. The cumulative 2-year survival was 37% in the hypocalcaemic group (CaI less than 1.17 mmol/l), 49% in the hypercalcaemic group (CaI greater than 1.29 mmol/l) and 57% in the normocalcaemic group. The association of calcaemia and survival remained significant even when patients with low serum albumin and high serum creatinine were excluded. However, serum total calcium concentrations, whether or not 'corrected' for albumin, were not significantly associated with survival. The use of diuretics may have had some influence on the calcaemic grouping of the patients, but the excess mortality in the hypercalcaemic group was not explained by heart failure or hypertension. The impaired survival in dyscalcaemic groups was not associated with sex, age, immobility, diabetes, hypertension, or renal failure.