Lindsey Shapiro, PhD, science writer —

Mutations in the CYP24A1 gene were identified as a cause of a 43-year-old man’s idiopathic infantile hypercalcemia (IIH), a condition marked by higher than normal blood calcium levels. The man also had low levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), a sign of hypoparathyroidism, and normal vitamin D —  unusual for…

Patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism following surgery for thyroid cancer do not have overall significant cognitive impairments, but those with lower blood calcium levels showed some disruptions in cognitive function, according to a study. Specifically, patients with lower calcium levels exhibited impairments in visuo-spatial attention, semantic memory (memory of general…

Calcium citrate was as effective as calcium carbonate at sustaining normal calcium levels in people with hypoparathyroidism, but was associated with fewer gastrointestinal side effects and a potentially lower risk of nephrolithiasis, or kidney stones, according to a study. “These results are likely to have clinical implications in [hypoparathyroidism],…

A significant proportion of people with hypoparathyroidism reported quality-of-life impairments, which were associated with more symptoms and an inability to work, according to a recent German survey study. A lack of understanding about the disease from potential employers, physicians, and others also may underlie these declines in quality of…

Symptoms of hypoparathyroidism were among the first signs of DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) in a man in whom standard treatment successfully restored calcium levels before surgery to remove his thyroid, which showed evidence of cancer, according to a recent case report. The report, “Newly Diagnosed Hypoparathyroidism as…

The European Commission has granted orphan drug designation to AZP-3601, Amolyt Pharma’s investigational therapy to treat hypoparathyroidism. Orphan designation is given to promising treatment candidates for life-threatening and debilitating rare diseases, those affecting not more than five in every 10,000 people in the European Union. The designation will…