Parathyroid Hormone

Abbreviation: PTH

Panel: Hormone Tests · All hormones tests

Typical adult reference range

Conventional units15–65 pg/mL
SI units1.6–6.9 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.

Please note: Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and between the methods and instruments they use — the range printed on your own report is the one your result should be compared with. A result outside the range is not by itself a diagnosis, and a result inside it does not rule out illness. These pages are an educational summary, not medical advice: always discuss your results with the clinician who ordered them, who can interpret them in the context of your health and history.