Osteoporosis – also known as brittle bone disease – may share an underlying cause with heart disease, researchers have reported.
The researchers at Southampton University, UK, said their research shows that people with a history of heart disease tend to have weaker bones than others.
The findings come from the use of new scanning techniques on some 350 elderly people in Hertfordshire, UK.
The high resolution peripheral quantitative CT scanning allowed the researchers to study the wrist bones of their volunteers, analysing multiple layers to search for symptoms of osteoporosis.
This showed that bone mineral density was reduced in people with forms of heart disease, such as angina, heart failure or a history of heart attacks.
Researcher Professor Cyrus Cooper said: “This is one of the first studies to use this technology to explore bone geometry, density and microstructure in patients with heart disease.
“The findings highlight the need to evaluate a history of heart disease in the management of osteoporosis in older people and further research is also needed to provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms which explain the link between osteoporosis and heart disease.”
Fellow researcher Dr Julien Paccou added: “In essence, this work and others show that people with a history of cardiovascular disease tend to have weaker bones. There is a need to better understand this association to improve bone health.”
Ischemic heart disease is associated with lower cortical volumetric bone mineral density of distal radius. Osteoporosis International July 2015
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