Associations of coronary plaque characteristics and coronary calcification with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We aimed at investigating the association of postmenopausal osteoporosis in different measurement locations, with the coronary plaque burden and morphology detected by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed a total of 223 postmenopausal women who had undergone both dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and CCTA. Coronary plaque characteristics were analyzed using CCTA. RESULTS: The number of burdens was higher in the osteoporosis/osteopenia group of patients than in the normal group. Agatston score and BMI were not significantly different between the two groups. T-score femur and bone mineral density (BMD) femur were higher in patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD as compared to those with mild CAD (p=0.036 and p=0.049, respectively), whereas T-score lumbar and BMD lumbar were not significantly different. Non-calcified/mixed plaque burden was an independent predictor of osteopenia/osteoporosis (OR: 1.396, 95% CI 1.007-1.934; p=0.045) together with age (OR: 1.053, 95% CI 1.015-1.093; p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Non-calcified/mixed plaque burden was significantly and independently associated with osteoporosis/osteopenia at femoral neck but not at lumbar spine. Osteopenia/osteoporosis was not significantly associated with CAC.