Hypoparathyroidism Counteracts Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

• Published in: The American journal of the medical sciences 1995-08, Vol.310 (2), p.56-60
• Main Authors: Touliatos, John S., Sebes, Jeno I., Hinton, Abbie, McCommon, Diane, Karas, James G., Palmieri, Genaro M.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Bone Density; Female; Humans; Hypoparathyroidism; Hypoparathyroidism - complications; Male; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis; Osteoporosis - etiology; Osteoporosis - physiopathology; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 0002-9629; 1538-2990
• DOI: 10.1097/00000441-199508000-00003

Although increased bone density has been reported in patients with hypoparathyroidism, it is not known whether hypoparathyroidism can overcome the influence of risk factors for osteoporosis and whether the increased bone density is uniform throughout the entire skeleton or greater in certain regions depending on the bone composition and location. In the current study, bone density was measured in patients with postsurgical hypoparathyroidism and risk factors for osteoporosis. Bone mineral density was determined in eight patients with post-surgical hypoparathyroidism, one with idio-pathic hypoparathyroidism, and two with pseu-dohypoparathyroidism in eight different areas of the skeleton using well established methods: single photon absorptiometry of the radius, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry of the spine, hip, and the whole skeleton, and quantitative computed tomography of the spine. Risk factors for osteoporosis were documented in each subject. The data showed that despite the presence of 1–4 risk factors for osteoporosis, patients with postsurgical hypoparathyroidism had bone mineral density above the normal mean in most locations. The locations with the highest increment were the Ward’s triangle and the trochanter area of the proximal femur (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) (Ward’s: Z score + 1.59±0.57, P