Development of hypertension after correction of primary hyperparathyroidism

A statistical association between hypertension and hyperparathyroidism has been repeatedly reported, but the underlying pathogenetic mechanism has not been elucidated. A 51-year-old woman was hospitalized because of increasing motor disability caused by multiple bone and muscle aches with generalized weakness. She was found to have marked hypercalcemia and hypophosphatemia, increased parathyroid hormone secretion, but normal renal function and blood pressure level. After the identification and removal of a single parathyroid adenoma, the calcium/phosphate metabolism normalized in a relatively short time during which, however, hypertension developed in the absence of any other endocrine or renal dysfunction. A positive, highly significant relationship was observed between the progressive rise in blood pressure and the gradual increase in serum phosphate concentration occurring after the operation, suggesting that, in the hyperparathyroid phase, an underlying trend to hypertension could have been masked by the phosphate depletion, probably through its effects on cardiac and vascular smooth muscle function.