Parathyroid hormone is associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

BACKGROUND: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a novel promising biomarker that can predict hospitalization, functional status and mortality in patients who suffered heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the association of serum PTH levels and measures of disease severity (NYHA functional class, NT-proBNP, CRP, EF, Troponin I) in patients with HFpEF. METHODS: A total of consecutive 58 outpatients with HFpEF and 30 controls were prospectively studied. All patients underwent laboratory tests, including NT-proBNP and PTH analyses. RESULTS: PTH, NT-proBNP, troponin I, and CRP levels were significantly higher in patients with HFpEF when compared with control group (54.61 ± 31.02 vs 40.40 ± 14.22 pg/ml, p < 0.05; 126.05 ± 162.94 vs 44.57 ± 14.95 pg/ml, p < 0.01; 0.011 ± 0.013 vs 0.004 ± 0.001 ug/L, p < 0.01; 4.65 ± 4.24 vs 1.63 ± 0.97 mg/L, p < 0.01, respectively). Left atrium was found to be more enlarged in HFpEF patients (LAVI = 36 ± 18 vs 28 ± 11 ml/m², p < 0.01). Most indices of left ventricular diastolic function were more severely impaired compared to controls (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between PTH and CRP, troponin I, LVMI, LV volumes, LV diameters, E/E', age, and BMI in both groups (p = NS). There was strong positive correlation between PTH and NT-proBNP levels in all study participants (r = 0.359; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: PTH together with other markers of heart failure may provide valuable information both in the diagnosis and staging of heart failure syndromes (Tab. 4, Fig. 1, Ref. 40).