Are PTH serum levels predictive of coronary calcifications in haemodialysis patients?
Background. Cardiac calcifications are a frequent occurrence in uraemic subjects and are probably connected to the increased cardiovascular mortality of haemodialysis patients. There is substantial support to the hypothesis that low levels of serum PTH in haemodialysis patients are associated with increased vascular and cardiac calcium deposits, due to decreased buffering capacity of bone in low turnover osteodystrophy. The present study has been carried out on a cohort of patients on haemodialysis, with exclusion of previously parathyroidectomized patients, with the aim to evaluate the association between PTH serum levels and coronary calcifications. Methods. The study has been carried out in a cohort of 197 haemodialysis patients. There were 133 males and 64 females. Twenty-two patients had diabetes mellitus. Average age was 58.6 ± 12.9 years. Patients were divided into groups of intact PTH levels, 0 150 (A), 150 300 (B), 300 600 (C) and >600 (D) pg/ml. Results. The values of coronar
