title: Case-control study on symptoms and signs of "asymptomatic" primary hyperparathyroidism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Symptoms, signs, and treatment of mild primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) are controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred two patients with HPT and matched controls were recruited from 5202 females attending population-based mammography screening at age 55 to 75 years. Patients' total serum calcium averaged 10.40 +/- 0.564 mg/dL and intact serum parathyroid hormone 58 +/- 33 ng/L. All patients lacked knowledge of their disease. Questions revealed traditional symptoms of HPT in 24% of cases and 43% of controls (P = .01). All individuals underwent the same biochemical analyses, bone mass determination, and questionnaires on symptoms, illnesses, medications, and background variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with HPT had more psychic complaints (P = .03 to .007) of lassitude, fatigue, irritability, and lack of sexual and emotional interests. They had lower bone density in total body, spine, and hip (P = .008 to .0004) and higher serum alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol (very-low-density lipoprotein), triglycerides (total, very-low-density lipoprotein), glucose, urate, and hemoglobin values (P = .02 to .0001). Patients visited physicians more often (P = .008) and had more antihypertensive therapy (P = .02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mild, "asymptomatic" HPT in patients unaware of their disorder displays significant psychic symptoms, bone loss, and risk factors of cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lundgren
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ljunghall
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akerström
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hetta
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mallmin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rastad
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006961:Hyperparathyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged