Lasix Linked to Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

Another interesting paper coming out of ASN this week seems to propose a link between the loop diuretic (Lasix) and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Tamara Isakova, MD, a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and her colleagues believe the calciuresis caused by Lasix may stimulate PTH. Accordingly, thiazide type diuretics do not exhibit such a relationship.

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of 3,612 subjects. Median PTH levels were almost twice as high in patients taking loop diuretics than in controls (81 vs. 44 pg/mL). After adjusting for age, race, BMI, BP, diabetes, and estimated glomerular filtration rate, subjects on loop diuretics had a 2.4 times increased risk of secondary hyperparathyroidism (PTH of 65 pg/mL or higher).

It must be said that these papers coming out of ASN are not published in peer reviewed journals and scrutinized to the same degree..  but, nevertheless it is an interesting hypothesis.