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Published on: January 29, 2018
Coronary heart disease risk and bone mineral density among U.S. women and men
Danielle L Broussard1, Jeanette H Magnus
1Tulane University Health Sciences Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA.
Insights
Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk scores may help identify older women with low bone mineral density (BMD). This could aid in osteoporosis screening, but its effect on fracture prevention requires further study.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
- Osteoporosis Research
Background:
- Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in both genders.
- Identifying individuals with low BMD is crucial for preventing fractures and cardiovascular events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of a CHD risk assessment tool in identifying individuals with low BMD.
- To assess the relationship between 10-year CHD risk and low BMD in a multiethnic population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cross-sectional data from 3881 women and men aged 50-74 years from NHANES III.
- Employed gender-stratified multiple logistic regression models to analyze BMD and Framingham CHD risk.
- Excluded participants with pre-existing CHD or stroke.
Main Results:
- Women with a 10%-19% 10-year CHD risk were 45% more likely to have low BMD compared to those with <10% risk.
- Women with a CHD risk of >=20% had a 73% higher likelihood of low BMD.
- No similar association between CHD risk and low BMD was observed in men.
Conclusions:
- The 10-year Framingham CHD risk assessment may be valuable for identifying older women who warrant BMD measurement for osteoporosis screening.
- Further research is needed to determine the impact of this screening strategy on fracture prevention.
Aims:
Low bone mineral density (BMD) has been shown to predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in both women and men. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether a CHD risk assessment tool might be useful for identifying persons likely to have low BMD in a multiethnic population of women and men.
Methods:
Cross-sectional data for 3881 women and men aged 50-74 years without overt CHD or stroke from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) were used to explore the relationship between BMD and 10-year CHD risk, as estimated using the Framingham CHD risk prediction algorithm, in gender-stratified multiple logistic regression models.
Results:
When compared with women who had a <10% CHD risk, women with a 10%-19% CHD risk were 45% more likely and those with a > or =20% CHD risk were 73% more likely to have low BMD. Similar increases in low BMD risk were not detected in men.
Conclusions:
In the United States, 10-year Framingham CHD risk assessment may be useful for identifying older women who should be evaluated for osteoporosis and referred for BMD measurement. The impact of such a screening strategy on fracture prevention needs further elucidation.
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