Vascular Dysfunction Linking Heart and Bone Health in Older Adults

A recent study explored the co-occurrence of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease in older adults. It examined vascular dysfunction's relationship with bone loss and deterioration in bone microarchitecture to determine if shared risk factors contribute or if vascular dysfunction with aging directly impacts skeletal fragility (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Vascular function and skeletal fragility: a study of tonometry, brachial hemodynamics, and bone microarchitecture

Go to source). Researchers used data collected from 1,391 participants in the Framingham Heart Study to evaluate the link between blood vessel function and bone health. They used special tools to assess bone density and microstructure by measuring blood flow and pressure and advanced imaging called high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT).

Vascular Function and Skeletal Fragility

Entitled “Vascular function and skeletal fragility: A study of tonometry, brachial hemodynamics, and bone microarchitecture,” the study found that while people with impaired blood vessel function tend to have lower bone density and worse deterioration in bone micro-structure, the association did not remain after statistically controlling for age, sex, and other confounders.

Although cardiovascular disease frequently co-occurs with osteoporosis, Ilana Usiskin, MD, lead author and clinical fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, explained that “the results indicate that vascular function may not independently predict skeletal fragility independently of shared risk factors.”

Elizabeth (Lisa) Samelson, PhD, principal investigator for the NIH-funded study, associate scientist at Hebrew SeniorLife‘s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, added, “Cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis are highly prevalent conditions in older adults and responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Our goal was to better understand whether or not vascular dysfunction plays a role in the development of osteoporosis, as early recognition of risk factors can lead to intervention and fracture prevention.”

Reference:

1. Vascular function and skeletal fragility: a study of tonometry, brachial hemodynamics, and bone microarchitecture - (https://academic.oup.com/jbmr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jbmr/zjae071/7665620?redirectedFrom=fulltext)

Source-Eurekalert