Key result
Severe abdominal aortic calcification is linked to ~94% faster hip bone loss in older men.
Why the study?
Data on the association between the severity of abdominal aortic calcification and bone loss were discordant.
Is severe abdominal aortic calcification associated with more rapid bone loss in older men?
Cohort (n=778)
Is severe abdominal aortic calcification associated with more rapid bone loss in older men?
Severe abdominal aortic calcification is associated with accelerated bone loss in older men, potentially contributing to higher fracture risk.
May warrant closer bone monitoring in older men with severe AAC; leaves open shared mechanisms or causality.
CONTEXT: Data on the association between the severity of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) and bone loss are discordant. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the association between baseline AAC and prospectively assessed bone loss in older men. METHODS: This prospective cohort study started in 1995 (MINOS). Men aged 50 to 85 years (n = 778) had AAC assessed on the lateral radiograph of the spine using Kauppila's semiquantitative score and was followed prospectively for 7.5 years. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry every 18 months. Statistical analysis was performed using linear mixed models. RESULTS: In comparison to men without AAC (AAC = 0), severe AAC (>6) was associated with more rapid bone loss at the total hip (-0.62 ± 0.06 vs -0.32 ± 0.04%/year; P < .001), trochanter, and distal forearm (-0.72 ± 0.06 vs -0.45 ± 0.03%/year; P < .001). The highest decile (AAC >10) was associated with more rapid bone loss at the femoral neck, whole body, and ultradistal radius (-0.86 ± 0.12 vs -0.34 ± 0.05%/year; P < .001). The results were similar for BMD and for BMC. The patterns were similar in sensitivity analyses (eg, after excluding men with abdominal obesity, after excluding current smokers, after excluding men with ischemic heart disease or with diabetes mellitus, after excluding men with abnormal concentrations of lipids, bioavailable 17β-estradiol or 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, after excluding men with glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min). CONCLUSION: Severe AAC is associated with faster bone loss in older men and may contribute to the higher fracture risk observed in this population.
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Szulc et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in Abdominal aortic calcification and bone loss (n=778). Severe abdominal aortic calcification (AAC >6) vs. Men without AAC (AAC = 0) was evaluated on Rate of bone loss at the total hip (%/year) (p=<.001). Severe abdominal aortic calcification (>6) in older men was associated with more rapid bone loss at the total hip compared to men without calcification (-0.62 vs -0.32 %/year; P<.001).
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