Parathyroid hormone, vitamin D levels and urine albumin excretion in older persons: The 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)

Objective Persistent elevation of urinary albumin excretion (UAE), even within normal range, is an independent predictor for cardiovascular disease. Accumulating research suggests that low levels of vitamin D and high levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) also increase cardiovascular disease risk. This study is intended to investigate the relationship between PTH, vitamin D levels and UAE. Methods We examined 2897 adults aged 50 and above, participating in the second year of the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V-2). Anthropometric and laboratory measurements were performed. Elevated UAE was defined as spot urinary albumin creatinine ratio equal or above 10. Results The proportion of elevated UAE (21·8%, 23·2%, 23·2%, 31·8%; P for trend = 0·002) rose with increasing quartiles of PTH. The odds ratio for elevated UAE in the highest quartile of PTH was 72% higher than the lowest quartile group. There was no relationship between vitamin D and elevated UAE. Conclusions Elevated PTH levels are associated with elevated UAE in Korean adults aged 50 and above. Additional studies are needed to clarify this relationship.