Elevated arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

Sumino, H.; Ichikawa, S.; Kasama, S.; Takahashi, T.; Kumakura, H.; Takayama, Y.; Kanda, T.; Sakamaki, T.; Kurabayashi, M.

doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2006.02.008

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Volume 55, Issue 3 , Pages 212-218, 20 October 2006

Elevated arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

H. Sumino
- Department of Medicine and Biological Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan
- Correspondence to: Medical Informatics and Decision Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-15 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan. Tel.: +81 27 220 8772; fax: +81 27 220 8770.
S. Ichikawa
- Cardiovascular Hospital of Central Japan, 740 Hakoda, Hokkitsu, Gunma 377-0061, Japan
S. Kasama
- Cardiovascular Hospital of Central Japan, 740 Hakoda, Hokkitsu, Gunma 377-0061, Japan
T. Takahashi
- Department of General Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada-machi, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
H. Kumakura
- Cardiovascular Hospital of Central Japan, 740 Hakoda, Hokkitsu, Gunma 377-0061, Japan
Y. Takayama
- Cardiovascular Hospital of Central Japan, 740 Hakoda, Hokkitsu, Gunma 377-0061, Japan
T. Kanda
- Department of General Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada-machi, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
T. Sakamaki
- Medical Informatics and Decision Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-15 Showa-mach, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan
M. Kurabayashi
- Department of Medicine and Biological Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan

Received 13 July 2005; received in revised form 27 February 2006; accepted 28 February 2006.

Abstract

Objectives

Osteoporosis and increased pulse wave velocity (PWV) are cardiovascular risk factors. We investigated the relationship between PWV and bone mass in the lumbar spine in postmenopausal women.

Methods

We studied the PWV in 95 women; 38 postmenopausal women with normal spinal bone mineral density (BMD), 32 osteopenic postmenopausal women, and 25 osteoporotic postmenopausal women. The brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) was measured using an automated device. The BMD of the lumbar spine (L2–L4) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results

After adjusting for age and years since menopause, women with osteoporosis had a significantly higher baPWV than those with normal BMD (1500±220cm/s versus 1340±215cm/s; P<0.05), but no significant differences in baPWV were seen between the osteoporotic and osteopenic groups or between the osteopenic and normal BMD groups. In univariate regression analysis, the baPWV was significantly negatively correlated with BMD (r=−0.450, P<0.01), and significantly positively correlated with age (r=0.601, P<0.01), years since menopause (r=0.577, P<0.01), systolic blood pressure (r=0.295, P<0.01), and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.264, P<0.05), but was not with other variables. In multivariate regression analysis, the baPWV was significantly correlated with BMD (P<0.05), but not with other variables.

Conclusions

Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis may have elevated arterial stiffness, suggesting that osteoporotic postmenopausal women may have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: Arterial stiffness, Bone mass, Postmenopausal women