Body size linked to primary hyperparathyroidism in women

(HealthDay)—Body size seems to be associated with increased risk of primary hyperparathyroidism (P-HPTH) in women, according to a study published online May 10 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Anand Vaidya, M.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined whether greater body size correlated with increased risk for developing P-HPTH in women. The prospective cohort study involved 85,013 female participants in the Nurses' Health Study I. Weight and body mass index (BMI) were assessed every two years from 1986 to 2012, and waist circumference (WC) was measured in 1986, 1996, and 2000. Validated biennial questionnaires were used to quantify dietary and demographic exposures.

During 2,128,068 person-years of follow-up, the researchers confirmed 491 incident cases of P-HPTH. For incident P-HPTH, the multivariable adjusted relative risks increased across WC quartiles relative to quartile 1 (Q1): Q2, 1.34 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.97 to 1.86), Q3, 1.7 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.24 to 2.31), and Q4, 2.27 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.63 to 3.18); P-trend < 0.001. Across quartiles of weight there were similarly increasing multivariable adjusted risks for incident P-HPTH relative to Q1: Q2, 1.23 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.92 to 1.65), Q3, 1.63 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.24 to 2.14), and Q4, 1.65 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.24 to 2.19); P-trend < 0.001. Across quartiles of BMI there was a similar but nonsignificant trend (P-trend = 0.07)

"In summary, body size may be an independent and modifiable risk factor for developing P-HPTH in women," the authors write.