Association of breast vascular calcifications with low bone mass in postmenopausal women

In developing countries, there is a deficiency of densitometers with which to screen the population for osteoporosis. Thus, strategies with which to select patients for a bone density test are desirable.

To determine whether breast vascular calcifications (BVCs) may be employed to identify postmenopausal women with osteoporosis/osteopenia.

This was a cross-sectional study of postmenopausal women subjected to bilateral mammography and bone densitometry (DXA) of the spine and hip. A medical interview registered possible confounding factors, such as age, length of menopause, previous use of postmenopausal hormone therapy, family history of osteoporosis, smoking, alcoholism, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and medication use.

The study included 211 postmenopausal women aged 62.1 ± 9.3 years, 38 of whom (18.0%) exhibited BVC. Osteoporosis was detected in 36 (17.1%), and a T-score < 21.0 for any site was found in 164 (77.7%). No statistically significant difference was found between the groups without BVC (n = 173) and with BVC (n = 38) for the prevalence of 'osteoporosis' or 'moderate/severe osteopenia or osteoporosis' at the spine or at any other site. There was a difference between the groups in terms of age (59.0 ± 7.8 vs. 71.9 ± 8.9 years, respectively; p < 0.001), sedentary lifestyle (57.8% vs. 84.2%, respectively; p = 0.002), smoking (27.7% vs. 7.9%, respectively; p = 0.009), and high blood pressure (65.3% vs. 92.1%, respectively; p = 0.001). Logistic regression analysis confirmed the lack of statistical significance for BVC as a predictor of an osteoporosis diagnosis. Sensitivity values of BVCs to detect osteoporosis or osteopenia ranged from 17.9% to 25.0%.

BVCs have been shown to be inadequate to identify postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or osteopenia.