Parathyroid Hormone
Abbreviation: PTH
Panel: Hormone Tests · All hormones tests
Typical adult reference range
| Conventional units | 15–65 pg/mL |
| SI units | 1.6–6.9 pmol/L |
Ranges vary between laboratories and methods — compare your result with the range printed on your own report.
What a high or low result can mean
High parathyroid hormone: high values can be seen in hyperparathyroidism, vitamin D deficiency, and chronic kidney disease.
Low parathyroid hormone: low values may occur in hypoparathyroidism and with severe magnesium deficiency.
These are associations, not a diagnosis: the same result can have several causes, and your clinician interprets it with the rest of your results and history.
Good to know
Interpreted together with calcium, phosphate, and vitamin D levels.
◆ Kidney note
This test is closely tied to kidney health, and it is one a kidney specialist (nephrologist) watches closely. On this site, kidney-related results are a special focus: see the kidney and dialysis medicines in our Drug Guide and the kidney condition hubs for the wider picture.