Regina is a vegan (a vegetarian that does not eat any animal products including dairy or eggs). After a series of unexplained bone fractures, her doctor completes some tests and discovers that her levels of parathyroid hormone are elevated. Which of the following hypotheses would be the most plausible?
A) The lack of meat in her diet is causing anemia and preventing bone growth.
B) The lack of dairy in her diet has severely restricted the amount of calcium she has available. This deficiency stimulated the release of PTH, which caused more of the calcium stores in her bones to be mobilized. The deficiency has gone on for so long that she has weakened her bones.
C) The lack of dairy in her diet has severely restricted the amount of calcium she has available. This deficiency stimulated the release of calcitonin, which caused more of the calcium stores in her bones to be mobilized. The deficiency has gone on for so long that she has weakened her bones.
D) Her parathyroid glands are malfunctioning and producing too much calcitonin thereby stimulating osteoblast activity and weakening her bones.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The elevated levels of parathyroid hormone suggest that the body is trying to mobilize more calcium from the bones. The most plausible explanation for this deficiency is the lack of dairy in the vegan diet, as dairy is a major source of calcium. The prolonged deficiency has weakened her bones, leading to the unexplained fractures.

Regina Is a Vegan (A Vegetarian That Does Not Eat