Parathyroidectomy improves cardiovascular outcome in nondiabetic dialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism

Secondary hyperparathyroidism and its associated abnormalities in mineral metabolism and haemodynamic changes increase the cardiovascular risk in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Our objective was to determine the association of parathyroidectomy (PTX) with major cardiovascular events in nondiabetic dialysis patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPTH).

We performed a cohort study with fifty-three nondiabetic ESRD patients who were treated with maintenance haemodialysis and who had intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels > 800 pg/ml. Participants received either only medical therapy or medical therapy and total PTX with autotransplantation for SHPTH.

We evaluated the associations between PTX and major cardiovascular events including death, cerebrovascular accident and myocardial infarction. The biochemical and haemodynamic changes associated with PTX were measured.

During the mean follow-up of 72 months, twenty-three patients received only medical treatment (medical group) while thirty patients underwent PTX in addition to medical treatment (PTX group). The two groups were comparable in respect of baseline characteristics. PTX group was found to be associated with a reduced incidence of major cardiovascular events (P = 0·021). A multiple Cox regression analysis showed that the variable significantly associated with major cardiovascular events was treatment modality (medical therapy vs medical therapy and parathyroidectomy, hazard ratio = 26·12, 95% CI = 1·30-526·27, P = 0·033). Blood pressure, haemoglobin, alkaline phosphatase, calcium, phosphate and calcium × phosphate product significantly improved after PTX.

PTX was associated with better cardiovascular outcome in nondiabetic dialysis patients with severe SHPTH.