Relationship between Carotid Atherosclerosis and Lumbar Spine Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women

Osteoporosis and increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) have been associated with atherosclerosis. We investigated the correlation between carotid IMT and lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. We studied the carotid IMT in 175 postmenopausal women, including 43 women (control) with normal spinal BMD, 73 women with osteopenia, and 59 women with osteoporosis. Carotid IMT was assessed by ultrasonography. BMD at the lumbar spine (lumbar 2 to 4 vertebrae) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Age, years since menopause, and carotid IMT were significantly greater in the osteoporosis group than in the control (all p