Association Between Bone Ultrasonometry and Cardiovascular Morbimortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Bone Metabolism
• Gerontology

Background:

• Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is used to assess bone density and fracture risk.
• The relationship between QUS parameters and cardiovascular outcomes is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between bone QUS parameters and cardiovascular event risk.
• To evaluate the link between QUS parameters and cardiovascular mortality (CVM) and all-cause mortality (ACM).

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases.
• Included studies focused on individuals over 40 years old, analyzing QUS parameters and mortality outcomes.
• Meta-analyses of adjusted hazard ratios were performed using random effects models.

Main Results:

• Nine studies involving over 477,000 participants were analyzed.
• Decreased calcaneal broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) showed inverse associations with CVM and ACM.
• Reduced speed of sound (SOS) was also inversely associated with CVM and ACM.

Conclusions:

• Lower calcaneal BUA and SOS are independently associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality.
• QUS parameters may serve as potential indicators for cardiovascular risk assessment.