[Ectopic calcification of the abdominal aorta and bone mineral content of vertebrae]

The relationship between the ectopic calcification of abdominal aorta and the de-calcification of bone in 137 elderly patients was investigated by quantitative computed tomography. We calculated the index (CAI) of the calcification volume to the aorta volume in the lower abdominal aorta, and simultaneously estimated the bone mineral content (BMC) of the vertebral body using a calibration phantom. The CAI increased and the BMC decreased progressively in proportion to aging. There was a significant negative correlation between the CAI and the MBC in females in the eighth and ninth decades (eighth decade: n = 37, r = -0.400; p less than 0.01, ninth decade: n = 37, r = -0.334; p less than 0.05). These results suggested that in elderly females, abdominal aortic calcification is closely related to de-calcification from the vertebral body.