Bone mineral density and blood pressure in patients with asymptomatic hyperparathyroidism. The Tromsø Study

To evaluate bone mineral density and blood pressure in asymptomatic hyperparathyroidism.

A case-control study.

The participants obtained from an epidemiological survey in Tromso 1994-95, that included more than 27 000 subjects. The re-examination in 1998 was performed at the University Hospital of Tromso, Norway. Participants. Thirty-nine subjects with hyperparathyroidism and 72 control subjects were studied.

Bone mineral density measurements of the lumbar spine and the proximal femur (femoral neck, Ward's triangle, and trochanter). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

In the hyperparathyroidism group bone mineral density was significantly lower measured at the lumbar spine (1.000 +/- 0.181 vs. 1.079 +/- 0. 194 g cm-2, mean +/- SD, P < 0.01) and at the femoral neck (0.806 +/- 0.121 vs. 0.852 +/- 0.141 g cm-2, P < 0.05). In the females, but not in the males, blood pressure was significantly higher in the hyperparathyroidism group than in the control group [systolic blood pressure 146.7 +/- 18.6 vs. 137.4 +/- 23.0 mmHg (P < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure 88.1 +/- 11.8 vs. 82.2 +/- 10.6 mmHg (P < 0. 05)]. In the females the number of subjects on antihypertensive medication was significantly higher in the hyperparathyroidism group than in the control group (32.1% and 16.6%, respectively, P < 0.01).

Subjects with asymptomatic hyperparathyroidism have moderately reduced bone mineral density. In females with hyperparathyroidism there is an increase in blood pressure.