Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

Secondary Hyperparathyroidism General Information

The parathyroids are four small endocrine glands found on the larynx that produce PTH or parathyroid hormone controlling the levels of calcium in the body. When these endocrine glands have an increased activity, they produce elevated levels of parathyroid hormone, and then a medical condition called hyperparathyroidism occurs. When this endocrine disorder appears in response to low levels of calcium in the blood (hypocalcemia) caused by another medical condition, hyperparathyroidism is called Secondary Hyperparathyroidism. This type of endocrine dysfunction is usually seen in people who suffer from chronic renal failure.

The causes that lead to the appearance of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism are multiple and various. The hormones produced by the parathyroid glands, known as PTH, have an important role in maintaining blood calcium by releasing the calcium in the urine so that it could be excreted, absorbs the calcium from gut and regulates bone turnover. There are several medical conditions that determine Secondary Hyperparathyroidism by causing phosphate imbalance and the levels of calcium in the blood to lower. The most common are: disorders related to vitamin D (that helps in the process of calcium absorption from the intestines), such as osteomalacia, abnormal metabolism provoked by drugs, deficiencies and malabsorption; calcium deficiency (caused by a diet poor in calcium or by excessive loss in the urine); disorders of phosphate metabolism, such as kidney disease, malnutrition, certain types of cancer, phosphate depletion or aluminum toxicity; and chronic renal failure, a complex medical condition in which phosphate is retained in the body and calcium is not produced or not absorbed.

Secondary Hyperparathyroidism Symptoms

It is very important to be well informed in what concerns your disease and for this we offer you a list of the most common signs and symptoms specific for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism. Because every organism reacts in its own way to various harmful microorganisms and diseases, this list may not be complete; certain patients experienced particular and uncommon manifestations. Any sign specific fro this disorder is usually linked to the underlying cause of this medical condition. The signs and symptoms of this disorder vary in intensity and range from mild (that can be hardly noticed) to severe manifestations (that produce intense pain). When it affects the children, this endocrine dysfunction is characterized by bowed limbs and other limb deformities, weakness, delayed development of teeth, swollen joints, poor growth, frequent fractures and intense pain of bones. Some of these signs and symptoms may be accused by adult patients too.

If a patient is already suffering from kidney failure, he or she may develop osteoporosis and osteomalacia in the same time or separately. If Secondary Hyperparathyroidism is caused by a disorder linked to vitamin D, then the elderly people who are very little exposed to sun and children with malnutrition are at high risk to develop the disorder. Diarrhea or other manifestations of malabsorption may occur in patients diagnosed with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism. Because of the increased activity of the parathyroid glands that produce elevated amounts of PTH (parathyroid hormone), pleiotropic effects on the neurological system, blood or immune system may occur once the disease starts to develop.

Secondary Hyperparathyroidism Treatment

Endocrine dysfunctions are usually very difficult to treat and this is why the main aim of every treatment option is to relieve the symptoms and to reduce them. Improving the patient’s quality of life may be an important factor in the whole treatment process. If not treated in time, the complications are severe and could lead to the development of other more serious medical conditions. As soon as you start experiencing any of the signs and symptoms that we have listed above, we strongly advise you to contact your health care provider and establish a date for the examination. If the disease is discovered in time and treated properly, the chances for a full recovery are significantly high. In most cases, the prognosis for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism depends a lot on what is the underlying cause. In order to set the diagnosis, the doctor will want you to do some blood and urine tests that will reveal low serum calcium, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase, elevated intact PTH (parathyroid hormone), low bone mineral density, different levels of vitamin D, unusual urine calcium levels and abnormal serum phosphorus levels. The physical exam is also very important because it reveals the existence of bone deformities, fractures or swollen joints. The main aim of any treatment option for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism is to correct the underlying cause of the endocrine dysfunction.

Once the diagnosis is set, the health care provider chooses the best treatment option for the respective patient. We will present you several commonly used therapies to cure Secondary Hyperparathyroidism. Our list may not be complete because certain therapies are less popular and only trained specialists could inform you about them. If the patient presents vitamin D deficiency, then he or she will receive supplements with vitamin D (prescribed as Paricalcitol). If the cause of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism is chronic renal failure, the health care providers will treat it with phosphate restriction, calcium supplementation or analogues of vitamin D. In the severe cases, dialysis may be needed, as well as parathyroid surgery or transplant of kidneys. Patients diagnosed with cancer are usually treated with surgery. In the past few years, researchers discovered a new class of medicines that has positive effects and reduces the number of patients who need surgery. These new drugs are called Calcimimetics Cinacalcet. This type of medical condition called Secondary Hyperparathyroidism can be very easily treated if early detection of vitamin D deficiency or rickets is done. If this endocrine disorder is left untreated, will progress to tertiary hyperparathyroidism, when the hypertrophy of parathyroid glands can not be reversed and the correction of the underlying cause will not minimize the excessive production of PTH. In these cases, surgery may be the only option to save the patient’s life. Another syndrome, called renal osteodystrophy may appear as a complication. Every person should pay more attention to a diet rich in vitamins so that these deficiencies do not appear. Sometimes, an endocrine dysfunction may trigger other problems of certain endocrine glands, worsening the patient’s health status.