Thin bones predict heart disease

Thin bones, as determined by x-rays of the hand, predict heart disease in women. This raises the possibility that treatment to prevent bone thinning, or osteoporosis, may also reduce the risk of heart disease. Although thin bones have been linked to stroke in women, no studies have looked at the ability of bone density to predict heart disease.Researchers from the Harvard Medical School in Boston analysed data from 1,236 women and 823 men who participated in the study. The subjects were free from heart disease at the beginning of the study (1967-1970) when hand x-rays were taken. The participants were followed till 1997 to assess the rate of heart disease. The rate of heart disease in women ranged from 11.76 to 15.65 cases per 1000 persons per year for groups with the thickest to thinnest bones in the hand, respectively. In contrast, no association between heart disease risk and bone mass was seen in men.The presence of this relationship in women only may reflect gender differences in how bone is mineralised, how heart disease evolves, or both, according to the researchers.

The results of the study suggest that boosting bone density may also help in preventing heart disease. To draw definitive conclusions regarding the implications of these findings on the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis, further studies are needed that use current tests of bone density.