Bone Mineral Density and Metabolism in Very Elderly Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

Abstract

The study purpose was investigation of bone mineral density (BMD) and metabolism in very elderly patients with heart failure. The study enrolled 125 patients (aged 75–98 years) hospitalized with coronary artery disease (CAD). The study group comprised 61 patients with clinically significant congestive heart failure (CHF) and the control group — 64 age-matched patients without CHF symptoms. The main exclusion criteria were any other diseases that could cause osteoporosis and administration of medications reducing BMD. Lumbar spine and proximal femur BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum osteocalcin concentration was measured by immunechemiluminescence, beta-Cross Laps level — by electrochemiluminescence. BMD in the CHF patients was lower versus the control group. Largest differences were recorded in proximal femur: BMD in the CHF patients was 719.8 ± 188.2 mg/cm3 versus 797.7 ± 161.7 mg/cm3 (p = 0.02) in the control group. Greater differences in BMD were detected in female patients. Proximal femur BMD had normal values only in 5% of the CHF patients, in the control group — in 31% of cases (p = 0.003). Reduced osteoblast function was observed in CHF patients: the mean osteocalcin level in the CHF patients was 1.2 ± 1.7 ng/ml versus 4.2 ± 4.1 ng/ml (р = 0.03) in the control group. Mean β-Cross Laps level in the CHF patients reached 0.73 ± 0.4 ng/ml versus 0.4 ± 0.1 ng/ml (p = 0.003) in the control group. These study findings suggest that bone mineral density in very elderly CHF patients is noticeably lower versus the patient group similar in age and main diseases. This study has demonstrated significantly reduced osteoblast function in CHF patients and slight increase in bone resorption.