Muscle function is impaired in patients with "asymptomatic" primary hyperparathyroidism

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology and Metabolism
• Clinical Research
• Quality of Life Studies

Background:

• Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a condition often treated with surgery.
• Patients with seemingly asymptomatic PHPT frequently report symptom improvement post-surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate muscle and balance function, quality of life (QoL), and well-being in PHPT patients.
• To determine if patients classified as "asymptomatic" by international guidelines exhibit functional impairments.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study comparing 58 PHPT patients with 58 matched population-based controls.
• Assessment of muscle strength, postural stability, QoL (Short Form-36), and well-being (WHO-5 Index).

Main Results:

• PHPT patients demonstrated significantly lower QoL across all domains, reduced well-being, and impaired postural stability compared to controls.
• Reduced maximal isometric muscle strength in upper and lower extremities and decreased physical performance were observed in PHPT patients.
• Even "asymptomatic" PHPT patients showed impaired muscle strength and postural stability compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• PHPT negatively impacts muscle function and QoL, even in individuals considered "asymptomatic."
• These functional impairments may explain the reported benefits of surgery in "asymptomatic" PHPT patients.
• Impaired muscle function in PHPT could independently increase fracture risk, irrespective of bone mineral density.