Relationship Between Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Osteoporosis in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: Cross-Sectional...

Although atherosclerosis and osteoporosis (OP) are seen in elderly patients, it is still a matter of research whether there is an age-independent relationship between them. In our study, we planned to investigate the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), OP, and bone turnover parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) of both sexes. A total of 69 patients and 40 healthy volunteers with chronic diseases such as DM2, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and OP. Group 1 had 27 patients with DM2 and OP, group 2 had 42 patients with DM2 and no OP, and group 3 had 40 healthy volunteers without DM2 and OP. In the control group, CIMT was measured lower than the patients with DM2 (0.8 + 0.1 and 1.1 + 0.3, P < 0.001, respectively). Femur T score and lumbar T score values of patients with DM2 were lower than the control group (-0.48 + 1.1 and 0.7 + 0.6, P < 0.001, and -1.3 + 1.5 and 0.6 + 0.5, P < 0.001, respectively). Bone turnover markers in DM2 compared to the control group (C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen: 240.9 ± 211.1 and 606.5 ± 200.8, P < 0.001; bone-specific alkaline phosphatase: 47.9 ± 15.5 and 431.5 ± 140, P < 0.001; and osteocalcin: 13.2 ± 5.0 and 19.7 ± 9.2, P < 0.001, respectively) were lower. Patients with femoral region (TSF) T score and lumbar region (TSL) T score below -2.5 were found to have higher CIMT values than those without (1.2 ± 0.23 mm and 0.9 ± 0.23 mm, P = 0.006, and 1.1 ± 0.28 mm and 0.95 ± 0.21 mm, P = 0.003, respectively). In linear regression analysis, age (β = 0.01, P < 0.001), OP (β = 0.166, P = 0.001), and DDM2 (β = 0.222, P = 0.04) were found to be effective on CIMT, while DM2 (β) = -0.754, P < 0.001), CIMT (β = -0.258, P = 0.021), body mass index (β = 0.355, P = 0.028), and age (β = -0.229, P = 0.029) were found to be independent factors on TSF. Bone turnover and bone mineral density are decreased in DM2 patients. In addition, subclinical atherosclerosis is more common in DM2 patients. Findings suggest that there is a relationship between subclinical atherosclerosis and OP due to metabolic factors other than age.