Relationships between parathyroid hormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and bone mineral density in elderly men

This study aimed to determine the relationships between parathyroid hormone, vitamin D status and bone mineral density (BMD) in healthy older men. Subjects [n = 133, mean age (SD) 69.5 (3.1), range 65-76 years] were recruited from two general practices in Cambridge. Blood samples were drawn for measurement of intact parathyroid hormone (1-84, hPTH) and total 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Bone mineral density at the hip and spine was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). After adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), PTH was negatively correlated with trochanteric (r = -0.24, p = 0.007), intertrochanteric (r = -0.29, p = 0.001), and Ward's Triangle BMD (r = -0.15, p = 0.087). By analysis of variance, controlling for age and BMI, PTH showed a relatively consistent downward trend with increasing tertiles of bone mineral density, especially at the hip. These results suggest a role of parathyroid hormone in determining hip bone mineral density in a community-based sample of healthy elderly men.