Parathyroid hormone and risk of heart failure in the general population: A meta-analysis of prospective studies

Inconsistent findings have been reported on the association between the parathyroid hormone (PTH) level and risk of heart failure. We aimed to systematically evaluate the association between circulating level of PTH and risk of heart failure in the general population by conducting a meta-analysis. We made a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Embase, VIP, CNKI, and Wanfang databases published until January 2016. Only prospective observational studies reporting the association between circulating level of PTH and risk of heart failure in the general population were selected. Pooled adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the highest versus lowest PTH category. Six studies with 25,207 participants identified. Higher circulating level of PTH was associated with an increased risk of heart failure (HR: 1.38; 95% CI 1.09–1.74) in a random effect model. Subgroup analyses revealed that the risk of heart failure was more pronounced among men (HR: 1.75; 95% CI 1.38–2.22) than in both genders. However, the risk increment was not statistically significant (HR: 1.12; 95% CI 0.76–1.66) in the middle-aged population. Higher PTH level is independently associated with an exacerbated risk of heart failure in the general population.