Relationship between markers of bone turnover and coronary arterial calcification in newly menopausal women

Abstract

Bone loss and development of atherosclerosis characterized by coronary arterial calcification (CAC) accelerate in women after menopause. This study evaluated the relationship between blood borne markers of bone turnover and development of CAC in newly menopausal women being screened for the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study. Women (n=137) were 52.3±2.3 years of age and were 18.1±9.2 months past their last menses. CAC was measured using 64‐slice computed tomography. Concentrations of osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), tartrate‐resident acid phosphatase 5b and osteopontin as bone matrix protein in serum and plasma were evaluated by ELISA. CAC scores ranged from 0 to 327.6 Agatston Unit (AU); 113 women had scores of 0 AU, 20 had CAC scores of 0<50 and 4 had CAC scores >50. Average levels of all of the markers of bone turnover were within a normal range reported in the literature. There was a positive correlation between BAP and osteocalcin. However, levels of these markers did not correlate with age or months past menopause. None of the markers correlated with CAC scores. These results suggest that blood borne markers of bone turnover do not correlate with the presence of CAC in newly menopausal women. Additional work is needed to determine if this relationship would change with increasing age.Supported by the Kronos Longevity Research Institute and Mayo Foundation.