Incidence of parathyroid disorders in Indian adult male population: A 25-year follow-up study

Context and objective: Detailed information on the epidemiology of parathyroid disorders in India is lacking. Most of the available data pertain to primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) rather than the overall burden of parathyroid disorders. We studied the incidence of parathyroid disorders in a cohort of service personnel followed for a long duration. Design, setting and patients: The data for this retrospective, descriptive epidemiological study were derived from the electronic medical records (EMR) of health care personnel enrolled between 1990 and 2015. Subjects were recruited between the ages of 17 and 20years in good health, and the data pertaining to parathyroid disorders were derived from the EMR. Main outcomes measuresWe calculated the incidence rates per person-years of parathyroid disorders using appropriate statistical methods. Results: Our analysis includes 51217 participants (median age 33, range 17-54years) with a mean follow-up of 12.5years. Yearly evaluation of the data gave cumulative follow-up duration of 613925 person-years. PHPT was diagnosed in 37 patients and hypoparathyroidism in 16 patients, giving incidence rates of 6 and 2.6 per 100000 person-years, respectively. Only one patient was diagnosed with pseudohypoparathyroidism (0.16 per 100000 person-years). Of the 37 patients with PHPT, 16 (43%) developed postsurgical hypoparathyroidism. Conclusions: Our cohort had a low incidence of PHPT when compared to Western populations. Long-term epidemiological studies are essential to identify the demographic trends of metabolic bone disorders in India.