Relationship between parathyroid hormone and cardiac abnormalities in chronic dialysis patients.

Background: It has been shown that parathyroid hormone (PTH) influences cardiac abnormalities in dialysis patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the plasma PTH level and cardiac abnormalities in these patients without overt cardiac disease.

Methods: A total of 81 of the 208 patients who received chronic dialysis treatment at our institution were included in this study. Plasma PTH level measurement, other blood examinations and echocardiography were performed in all patients. The subjects were divided into two groups based on plasma PTH level (<300 pg/ml: group A; > or =300 pg/ml: group B).

Results: There were no significant differences in echocardiographic parameters between group A and group B. The plasma PTH level was not significantly correlated with any echocardiographic parameter in any patient. In addition, we chose 10 patients with a plasma PTH level of more than 500 pg/ml from group B and 20 patients matched for various characteristics (excluding PTH level) from group A and compared the echocardiographic parameters between them. LVMI and intraventricular septum thickness (IVST) were significantly greater in patients with a plasma PTH level of greater than 500 pg/ml.

Conclusion: PTH was not strongly associated with cardiac abnormalities such as LVH or decreased left ventricular function in the overall group of patients. PTH may not play a major role in the pathogenesis of cardiac abnormalities in these patients. However, PTH could influence LVH in patients with remarkably elevated plasma PTH levels.