Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Parathyroid hormone is associated with decreased fat mass in young healthy women

International Journal of Obesity volume 30, pages 94–99 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate the relationship of parathyroid hormone (PTH) with dietary calcium and changes in body composition.

Design:

Cross-sectional and 1-year longitudinal trial.

Subjects:

Normal-weight young women (age: 18–31), 155 subjects analyzed at baseline, and data for 41 subjects analyzed prospectively between baseline and 12 months.

Measurements:

Levels of fasting serum calcium and PTH, intakes of calcium (3-day diet records), and total body weight and body composition (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry).

Results:

Baseline dietary calcium, regardless of whether unadjusted or adjusted for energy intake, did not predict baseline levels of fasting serum PTH. Change in dietary calcium also did not predict change in serum PTH. However, log PTH was significantly correlated with body fat mass (R=0.27), but not lean mass at baseline (n=155), independent of serum calcium (corrected R=0.25). Further, 12-month changes (n=41) in log PTH positively predicted the 12-month change in body weight (R=0.32) and body fat (R=0.32), but not lean mass even when controlled for age or change in serum calcium.

Conclusion:

Fasting serum PTH was associated with increased fat mass, in both cross-sectional and prospective analysis. Thus, serum PTH may play a role in the regulation of body fat mass in young women.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mokdad AH, Ford ES, Bowman BA, Dietz WH, Vinicor F, Bales VS et al. Prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and obesity-related health risk factors, 2001. JAMA 2003; 289: 76–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. McCarty MF, Thomas CA . PTH excess may promote weight gain by impeding catecholamine-induced lipolysis – implications for the impact of calcium, vitamin D, and alcohol on body weight. Med Hypotheses 2003; 61: 535–542.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Atkinson RL, Dahms WT, Bray GA, Schwartz AA . Parathyroid hormone levels in obesity: effects of intestinal bypass surgery. Miner Electrolyte Metab 1978; 1: 315–320.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bell NH, Epstein S, Greene A, Shary J, Oexmann MJ, Shaw S . Evidence for alteration of the vitamin D–endocrine system in obese subjects. J Clin Invest 1985; 76: 370–373.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Jensen LB, Kollerup G, Quaade F, Sorensen OH . Bone minerals changes in obese women during a moderate weight loss with and without calcium supplementation. J Bone Miner Res 2001; 16: 141–147.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Andersen T, McNair P, Hyldstrup L, Fogh-Andersen N, Nielsen TT, Astrup A et al. Secondary hyperparathyroidism of morbid obesity regresses during weight reduction. Metabolism 1988; 37: 425–428.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pugnale N, Giusti V, Suter M, Zysset E, Heraief E, Gaillard RC et al. Bone metabolism and risk of secondary hyperparathyroidism 12 months after gastric banding in obese pre-menopausal women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2003; 27: 110–116.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Grey AB, Evans MC, Stapleton JP, Reid IR . Body weight and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women and primary hyperparathyroidism. Ann Intern Med 1994; 121: 745–749.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Heaney RP, Davies KM, Barger-Lux MJ . Calcium and weight: clinical studies. J Am Coll Nutr 2002; 21: 152S–155S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Buchowski MS, Semenya J, Johnson OA . Dietary calcium intake in lactose maldigesting intolerant and tolerant African-American women. J Am Coll Nutr 2002; 21: 47–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Carruth BR, Skinner JD . The role of dietary calcium and other nutrients in moderating body fat in preschool children. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001; 25: 559–566.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Skinner JD, Bounds W, Carruth BR, Ziegler P . Longitudinal calcium intake is negatively related to children’s body fat indexes. J Am Diet Assoc 2003; 103: 1626–1630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Davies KM, Heaney RP, Recker RR, Lappe JM, Barger-Lux MJ, Rafferty K et al. Calcium intake and body weight. J Clin Endocrin Metab 2000; 85: 4635–4638.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Garrow JS, Webster JD, Pearson M, Pacy PJ, Harpin G . Inpatient-outpatient randomized comparison of Cambridge diet versus milk diet in 17 obese women over 24 weeks. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1989; 13: 521–529.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Jacqmain M, Doucet E, Despres JP, Bouchard C, Tremblay A . Calcium intake, body composition, and lipoprotein-lipid concentrations in adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 77: 1448–1452.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lin YC, Lyle RM, McCabe LD, McCabe GP, Weaver CM, Teegarden D . Dairy calcium is related to changes in body composition during a two-year exercise intervention in young women. J Am Coll Nutr 2000; 19: 754–760.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Lovejoy JC, Champagne CM, Smith SR, de Jonge L, Xie H . Ethnic differences in dietary intakes, physical activity, and energy expenditure in middle-aged, premenopausal women: the Healthy Transitions Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2001; 74: 90–95.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Shi H, DiRienzo D, Zemel MB . Effects of dietary calcium on adipocyte lipid metabolism and body weight regulation in energy-restricted aP2-agouti transgenic mice. FASEB J 2001; 15: 291–293.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Zemel MB, Shi H, Greer B, Dirienzo D, Zemel PC . Regulation of adiposity by dietary calcium. FASEB J 2000; 14: 1132–1138.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Zemel MB, Thompson W, Milstead A, Morris K, Campbell P . Calcium and dairy acceleration of weight and fat loss during energy restriction in obese adults. Obes Res 2004; 12: 582–590.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Weaver CM, Teegarden D, Lyle RM, McCabe GP, McCabe LD, Proulx WR et al. Impact of exercise on bone status in young women and contraindication of oral contraceptive use. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001; 33: 873–880.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Weaver CM, Peacock M, Martin BR, McCabe GP, Zhao J, Smith DL et al. Quantification of biochemical markers of bone turnover by kinetic measures of bone formation and resorption in young healthy females. Calcium intake, calcium balance, and biomarkers in adolescent females. J Bone Miner Res 1997; 12: 1714–1720.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kamycheva E, Sundsfjord J, Jorde R . Serum parathyroid hormone level is associated with body mass index. The 5th Tromso Study. Eur J Endocrinol 2004; 151: 167–172.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Parikh SJ, Edelman M, Uwaifo GI, Freedman RJ, Semega-Janneh M, Reynolds J et al. The relationship between obesity and serum 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D concentrations in healthy adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004; 89: 1196–1199.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Hamoui N, Anthone G, Crookes PF . Calcium metabolism in the morbidly obese. Obes Surg 2004; 14: 9–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Ricci TA, Heymsfield SB, Pierson Jr RN, Stahl T, Chowdhury HA, Shapses SA . Moderate energy restriction increases bone resorption in obese postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2001; 73: 347–352.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Heaney RP . Sensitivity of parathyroid hormone response to calcium intake. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 78: 493.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Livingstone MBE . Assessment of food intakes: are we measuring what people eat? Br J Biomed Sci 1995; 52: 58–67.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Pfeifer M, Begerow B, Minne HW, Nachtigall D, Hansen C . Effects of a short-term vitamin D(3) and calcium supplementation on blood pressure and parathyroid hormone levels in elderly women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001; 86: 1633–1637.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Souberbielle JC, Lawson-Body E, Hammadi B, Sarfati E, Kahan A, Cormier C . The use in clinical practice of parathyroid hormone normative values established in vitamin D-sufficient subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2003; 88: 3501–3504.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Dawson-Hughes B, Dallal GE, Drall EA, Harris S, Sokoll LJ, Falconer G . Effect of vitamin D supplementation on wintertime and overall bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women. Ann Int Med 1991; 115: 505–512.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Aurnabh S, Pollack S, Yeh J, Aloia JF . Body fat content and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in healthy women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2003; 88: 157–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Kamycheva E, Joakimsen RM, Jorde R . Intakes of calcium and vitamin D predict body mass index in the population of Northern Norway. J Nutr 2002; 132: 102–106.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Mawer EB, Backhouse J, Holman CA, Lumb GA, Stanbury SW . The distribution and storage of vitamin D and its metabolites in human tissues. Clin Sci 1972; 43: 414–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Wortman J, Matsuoka LY, Chen TC, Lu Z, Holick MF . Decreased bioavailibility of vitamin D in obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 72: 690–693.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Melanson EL, Sharp TA, Schneider J, Donahoo WT, Grunwald GK, Hill JO . Relation between calcium intake and fat oxidation in adult humans. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2003; 27: 196–203.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Smogorzewski M, Perna AF, Borum PR, Massry SG . Fatty acid oxidation in the myocardium: effects of parathyroid hormone and CRF. Kidney Int 1988; 34: 797–803.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by Dairy Management, Inc.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdepartmental Nutrition Program, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    C W Gunther, P A Legowski, C M Weaver & D Teegarden

  2. Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    R M Lyle

  3. Department of Statistics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    L D McCabe & G P McCabe

  4. General Clinical Research Unit, Indiana University Medical Center, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    M Peacock

Authors
  1. C W Gunther
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P A Legowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R M Lyle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C M Weaver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. L D McCabe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. G P McCabe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. M Peacock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. D Teegarden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D Teegarden.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gunther, C., Legowski, P., Lyle, R. et al. Parathyroid hormone is associated with decreased fat mass in young healthy women. Int J Obes 30, 94–99 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803066

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803066

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links