Intact Parathyroid Hormone Test

Intact PTH is the most frequently ordered parathyroid hormone test and is used to diagnose the cause of a low or high calcium level and also helps in distinguishing between parathyroid-related and non-parathyroid-related causes. PTH helps people in monitoring with chronic kidney disease or those who are already on dialysis. Along with the PTH, a calcium test is always recommended as it’s not just the level in the blood that is important but also the balance between the calcium and PTH and the response of the parathyroid glands to changing levels of calcium. PTH levels can be further used to monitor people who have conditions or diseases that cause chronic calcium imbalances or to monitor those who had surgery or another treatment for a parathyroid tumor.

You may be preferably recommended to ask your healthcare provider if you should stop eating or drinking for some period of time before the test but most often, you do not require to fast or stop drinking.You may be preferably recommended to ask your healthcare provider if you should stop eating or drinking for some period of time before the test but most often, you do not require to fast or stop drinking.

Normal values are between 10 to 55 pg/ml. Normal values ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different specimens. The test results including Calcium and PTH together will help in determining whether the levels are appropriate and are in balance as they should be. If both PTH and Calcium levels are normal, then it is likely that the body’s calcium regulation system is functioning properly. Low levels of PTH results to conditions causing hypercalcemia or to an abnormality in PTH production causing hypoparathyroidism. Excess PTH secretion may be due to hyperparathyroidism which is most frequently caused by a benign parathyroid tumor and in rare cases it may be caused by cancer.

A needle will be inserted to draw blood and when it’s done, some people feel moderate pain while others just feel a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or slight bruising but this won’t last long and soon goes away.