Is there a cross talk between aortic valve calcification and bone mineral density in older adult men and women? A single-center study from Iran

Abstract

Despite numerous studies, the association between osteoporosis and aortic valve calcification is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between aortic valve calcification and osteoporosis in an Iranian population over 60. In this cross-sectional study, patients aged over 60 years referring to the Bone Mineral Densitometry center of Baqiyatallah Hospital (Tehran, Iran) during 2019-2020 were evaluated. Trans-thoracic echocardiography was done for all patients to evaluate the existence of aortic valve calcification. Patients were compared in two groups with and without osteoporosis (T-score < -2.5) as well as in two groups with and without aortic calcification. Two-hundred patients with a mean age of 65.92 ± 5.59 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 25.73 ± 4.08 kg/m2 were studied (84.5% female). Patients with osteoporosis (n=104) had lower BMI and greater frequency of aortic calcification compared to the patients without osteoporosis (n = 96). Patients with aortic calcification had higher age, lower BMI, and higher proportion of osteoporosis compared to the patients without aortic calcification (P<0.05). According to the results, it is suggested that elderly patients with osteoporosis and hypertension be evaluated for aortic valve calcification. This evaluation seems more crucial for older people with high blood pressure, lower BMI, and osteoporosis. Moreover, patients with aortic valve calcification could be evaluated for osteoporosis. Confirming the above results requires further investigation with a larger sample size.

Keywords

• aortic calcification
• aortic stenosis
• osteoporosis
• bone density
• elderly