HAVE YOUR PARATHYROID GLANDS
gone into overdrive, secreting too
much hormone? Or too little, for
that matter? Our body has four such
glands, located in the neck (right be-
hind the larger thyroid gland), which
control the calcium level in our body.
Any malfunctioning of those glands
could trigger a bunch of symptoms,
from high blood pressure, palpitation
and bone-and-joint pain to kidney
problems or a sense of malaise. If you
have been under the weather for some
time or constantly suffering from any
of these symptoms, a check-up might
be essential to find out whether you
are suffering from primary hyper-
parathyroidism or PHPT. This condi-
tion occurs when the glands produce
an excessive amount of parathyroid
hormone, thus increasing the calcium
level in our blood. It is the third most
common endocrine disorder after
diabetes mellitus and thyroid disor-
ders, as per the Indian PHPT registry.
Although PHPT is not considered
a lifestyle or a hereditary disease,
some people may inherit a gene
that causes the disorder. In about
85 per cent cases, a benign tumour
or adenoma leads to the disease.
Other reasons include gland enlarge-
ment or hyperplasia (10-15 per cent
cases) and, in rare cases, a malignant
growth. One may also suffer from
secondary hyperparathyroidism
where the blood calcium level dips
due to other reasons, but later on,
the parathyroid glands get affected.
Initially, the symptoms mentioned
are often absent and later on, many of
them get dismissed as signs of stress.
But left untreated for a long time, this
could lead to severe health issues such
as osteoporosis and memory loss.
According to the Indian PHPT
Registry, the prevalence of the disease
varies between 1-in-400 and 1-in-1,000 in the West. Epidemiological
studies on India are not available yet,
but doctors have observed a rise in
the number of cases, especially in the
30-60 age group. “If one looks at the
number of surgeries taking place (the
only option in most of these cases)
to remove the affected gland/s, there
has been a threefold jump over the
past decade,” says Dr Manoj Chadha,
a Consultant Endocrinologist at Dr
P.D. Hinduja National Hospital &
Medical Research Centre in Mumbai.
Diagnostic tests are also of
critical importance as PHPT is
asymptomatic. Dr Chadha attributes
the growing number of cases to a
substantial rise in awareness and
availability of high-tech diagnostic
tools, making detection easier. Be-
sides the routine biochemical tests,
nuclear medicine and 4D CT scans
are being increasingly used to ensure
accurate diagnoses.REMOVING THE AFFECTED parathyroid gland/s is the
only solution today, but better diagnostic tools and non-
surgical options may not be far away. According to a recent
article published in the Science Daily, the discovery of a sig-
nalling protein could lead to drug-based therapies for treat-
ing hyperparathyroidism. Led by the Duke-NUS Medical
School in Singapore, researchers have discovered a signal-
ling protein (semaphoring 3D or Sema3D) secreted by the
parathyroid glands that seems to protect them from excessive activity. This
could be a breakthrough, opening up a new channel for drug development to
treat the ailment. As of now, get a simple blood test done to check blood cal-
cium and vitamin D. It is the best initial screening and costs around `1,500.HYPERPARATHYROIDISM
COULD GO UNDETECTED
FOR YEARS. IF LEFT
UNTREATED, IT MAY CAUSE
SEVERE HEALTH DAMAGE.
By E. Kumar Sharma
A PAIN
IN THE NECK
EXECUTIVE HEALTH
August 25 I 2019 I BUSINESS TODAY I 109FUTURE IN
DRUG-BASED
THERAPY?
THE BREAKOUT ZONE