Serum Parathyroid Hormone and Long-Term Mortality in Hospitalized Patients: A Real-World Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Internal Medicine
• Clinical Biochemistry

Background:

• Parathyroid hormone (PTH) impacts mineral metabolism, kidney function, inflammation, and cardiovascular health.
• Its role in general hospitalized populations needs further clarification.
• This study investigates PTH in internal medicine inpatients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of elevated PTH in internal medicine inpatients.
• To assess the association between elevated PTH and long-term all-cause mortality.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 1595 adult internal medicine inpatients from 2019.
• Included patients with in-hospital PTH measurements (>88 pg/mL defined as elevated).
• Analyzed clinical data and mortality outcomes over a mean follow-up of 22 months using Cox models.

Main Results:

• Elevated PTH was found in 35.5% of patients (567/1595).
• Patients with elevated PTH were older and had more comorbidities (CKD, CVD, inflammation, malnutrition).
• Elevated PTH was independently associated with increased long-term mortality (aHR 1.36, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Elevated PTH is prevalent in internal medicine inpatients and predicts increased long-term mortality.
• PTH may serve as a biomarker for disease burden, inflammation, and renal dysfunction.
• Further research is needed to explore underlying mechanisms and clinical utility for risk stratification.