A hormone that controls calcium balance and bone turnover.
Parathyroid hormone, or PTH, is made by four small parathyroid glands in your neck. It is the body's main controller of blood calcium. When calcium drops, PTH rises to release calcium from bone, hold on to calcium in the kidneys, and activate vitamin D.
This feedback loop keeps blood calcium steady. Because of that link, PTH is almost always read together with a calcium result.
A PTH test helps explain why calcium is high or low. High PTH with high calcium suggests overactive parathyroid glands (primary hyperparathyroidism). High PTH with low or normal calcium can reflect vitamin D deficiency or kidney disease, where the glands work harder to compensate.
Low PTH with high calcium points away from the parathyroid glands, for example toward some cancers. Reading PTH and calcium together is the key to telling these apart.
Aniva reads your result against research-backed ranges, not just the lab's wide normal. The reference shown below is specific to this biomarker.
Ranges are guidance and vary by laboratory and assay.
| Group | Reference range (SI) |
|---|---|
| Adults (intact PTH) | 1.6 to 6.9 pmol/L |
Roughly 15 to 65 pg/mL. Aligned to German laboratory practice (DGKL). Always interpret against your own lab's range.
PTH shows a daily rhythm and can vary with the time of the draw. Low vitamin D raises PTH. Reduced kidney function, lithium, and some other medicines affect levels. Samples need careful handling, as delays can lower the result.
Always read together with calcium, and usually with vitamin D and phosphate.
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