Authors: Claudio Pedone Simone Scarlata Nicola Napoli Fulvio Lauretani Stefania Bandinelli Luigi Ferrucci Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi
Publish Date: 2013/09/01
Volume: 93, Issue: 6, Pages: 508-516
Abstract
Most studies on the relationship between bone mineral density and atherosclerosis have used dualenergy Xray absorptiometry but this method is relatively insensitive to bone geometry The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between bone area and indices of carotid and peripheral atherosclerosis We studied 841 persons aged 65 years or older women = 444 mean age 738 years men = 397 mean age = 753 years enrolled in the InCHIANTI study and free from active malignancies chronic use of bisphosphonates or steroids and estrogen replacement therapy The tibial cortical and total crosssectional area CSA were measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography and their ratio was calculated cortical/total crosssectional area ratio cCSA/tCSA carotid plaques were screened by echography and peripheral artery disease PAD was defined as an ankle/brachial index 09 or presence of intermittent claudication No association between cCSA/tCSA and atherosclerosis was observed in men In women lower cCSA/tCSA was associated with both carotid plaques odds ratio OR for lowest vs best quartile = 209 95 confidence interval CI 12–368 and PAD OR = 343 95 CI 158–812 After correction for potential confounders age since menopause body mass index Parathyroid hormone vitamin D leptin DHEAS testosterone physical activity chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and reduced renal function the association was not confirmed According to partial logistic regression the carotid plaque–cCSA/tCSA association but not the PAD–cCSA/tCSA association was mostly dependent on years since menopause In women the association between osteoporosis and carotid plaques likely reflects hormonal deprivation whereas that between osteoporosis and PAD seems multifactorial in origin
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