Bone microarchitectural degradation in hypertensive patients: a population-based study

Hypertension is associated with increased fracture risk. However, evidence on its association with BMD is conflicting. Here, we demonstrate that hypertensive patients have lower trabecular bone scores compared to normotensive subjects, despite similar BMD. This degradation of bone microarchitecture may help explain the increased skeletal fragility observed in hypertensive patients.

Hypertension is associated with an increased fracture risk. However, evidence on its association with bone mineral density (BMD) is conflicting, and data on bone microarchitectural quality are scarce. The in vivo effects of anti-hypertensive medications on bone quality are poorly explored. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether bone microarchitecture, non-invasively assessed by trabecular bone score (TBS), is altered in hypertensive patients. The association between anti-hypertensive medications and TBS was also evaluated as a secondary endpoint.

We extracted individual data of 7053 subjects included in the 2005-2008 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), in which lumbar spine dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans were acquired. TBS values were calculated from DXA images using dedicated software. The association between hypertension, anti-hypertensive medications, and bone outcomes was assessed by regression analyses, adjusted for relevant confounders.

Hypertension was independently associated with lower TBS values (β = -0.010; 95%CI, [-0.016, -0.003]; p = 0.008); on the contrary, no association was observed between hypertension and BMD at any site (lumbar spine: p = 0.362; total hip: p = 0.481; femoral neck: p = 0.298). No class of anti-hypertensive medications was significantly associated with TBS. Thiazide diuretics and angiotensin receptor blockers were associated with higher BMD values, whereas loop diuretics and non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers were associated with lower BMD values.

Hypertension is associated with degraded bone microarchitecture, while no association is observed with bone mass. No significant relationships between anti-hypertensive medications and TBS were found. Associations between anti-hypertensive medications and BMD were consistent with previous reports.