Cosegregation of cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis: Instrumental diagnosis

Both atherosclerosis and osteoporosis are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, are independent predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and may share common regulatory mechanisms as well as histopathology. Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), an indication of atherosclerosis, is significantly associated with both cardiovascular heart disease and stroke. The increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality associated with moderate to severe AAC is similar to the increased risk of hip fracture in the presence of a moderate to severe vertebral fracture. A negative association between bone mineral density (BMD) and AAC severity has been also demonstrated. Several non-invasive methods are available to investigate the presence and the severity of osteoporosis. With some of these is possible to measure aortic calcification and bone mass in the same exam. A new method for the evaluation of aorta calcification by dual X-Ray absorptiometry (DXA) has been recently suggested: the Instant Vertebral Assessment (IVA), which offers the possibility to obtain in the same scan an assessment of vertebral fracture and AAC. Therefore, a single IVA exam could assist in stratifying patients into high and low risk groups for two highly prevalent and significant health care problems.