Cosegregation of cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis: instrumental diagnosis
Chiara Cepollaro1, Roberto Monaco, Gemma Marcucci
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Insights
Atherosclerosis and osteoporosis share links and risk factors. A new dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method, Instant Vertebral Assessment (IVA), can assess both vertebral fractures and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) simultaneously.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Bone Metabolism
- Radiology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis and osteoporosis are major causes of morbidity and mortality.
- Both conditions are independent predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events.
- Shared regulatory mechanisms and histopathology may link these diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between atherosclerosis and osteoporosis.
- To evaluate a novel method for assessing both conditions concurrently.
- To determine if a single examination can aid in risk stratification for these prevalent diseases.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on atherosclerosis and osteoporosis.
- Introduction of Instant Vertebral Assessment (IVA) using dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
- Discussion of IVA's capability to assess vertebral fractures and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) in a single scan.
Main Results:
- Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is linked to cardiovascular heart disease and stroke.
- Moderate to severe AAC correlates with increased CVD mortality risk, comparable to hip fracture risk from vertebral fractures.
- A negative association exists between bone mineral density (BMD) and AAC severity.
Conclusions:
- A single IVA exam can assess vertebral fracture and AAC.
- This method may help stratify patients by risk for both osteoporosis and atherosclerosis.
- IVA offers a potential tool for managing these significant, co-existing health concerns.
Abstract:
Both atherosclerosis and osteoporosis are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, are independent predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and may share common regulatory mechanisms as well as histopathology. Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), an indication of atherosclerosis, is significantly associated with both cardiovascular heart disease and stroke. The increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality associated with moderate to severe AAC is similar to the increased risk of hip fracture in the presence of a moderate to severe vertebral fracture. A negative association between bone mineral density (BMD) and AAC severity has been also demonstrated.Several non-invasive methods are available to investigate the presence and the severity of osteoporosis. With some of these is possible to measure aortic calcification and bone mass in the same exam. A new method for the evaluation of aorta calcification by dual X-Ray absorptiometry (DXA) has been recently suggested: the Instant Vertebral Assessment (IVA), which offers the possibility to obtain in the same scan an assessment of vertebral fracture and AAC. Therefore, a single IVA exam could assist in stratifying patients into high and low risk groups for two highly prevalent and significant health care problems.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:22Rheumatic Heart Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
01:21Peripheral Arterial Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Evaluation
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:27Atherosclerosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Tests