Relationship between serum levels of osteocalcin and atherosclerotic disease in type 2 diabetes

To analyze the relationship between serum levels of osteocalcin and parameters of atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

This cross-sectional study of 78 patients with T2DM evaluated intima-media thickness, and the prevalence of coronary heart disease, atherosclerotic plaques and aortic calcifications. Serum osteocalcin levels were also determined by radioimmunoassay.

The patients' mean age was 57.8±6.4 years (duration of diabetes: 13.4 years; mean HbA(1c) level: 8.01%), and 37.2% had coronary heart disease, 56% had an abnormal intima-media thickness, 26.9% had carotid plaques and 32.1% had aortic calcifications. Coronary heart disease was associated with higher levels of osteocalcin in male vs female patients (1.95±1.36 vs 0.93±0.86 ng/mL, respectively; P=0.006). Also, higher concentrations of osteocalcin were found in female patients with vs without abnormal intima-media thicknesses (2.17±1.84 vs 1.25±0.67 ng/mL, respectively; P=0.042), carotid plaques (2.86±2.10 vs 1.43±1.09 ng/mL, respectively; P=0.03) and aortic calcifications (2.85±1.97 vs 1.26±0.83 ng/mL, respectively; P=0.002). Serum osteocalcin levels were associated with coronary heart disease on multivariate logistic regression (odds ratio: 2.27, 95% confidence interval: 1.21-4.25; P=0.01).

In T2DM patients, serum osteocalcin levels were associated with parameters of atherosclerosis, suggesting that osteocalcin is involved not only in bone metabolism, but also in atherosclerotic disease.