University scientists have discovered a link between coronary heart disease and osteoporosis, suggesting both conditions could have similar causes.

In one of the first studies of its kind to use a special scanning technique, researchers found that people with a history of heart disease had substantially lower cortical volumetric bone mineral density in their wrist bone (the distal radius) than those without.

Using a state-of-the-art technique called ‘high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography’, researchers from 天发娱乐棋牌_天发娱乐APP-官网|下载’s Medical Research Council (MRC) Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit were able to visualise multiple layers of the wrist bone, in much the same way a 3D printer might build up layers of an object. These cross section visuals were used to assess symptoms of osteoporosis – a condition that weakens bones, making them more vulnerable to fractures and breaks.

Professor Cyrus Cooper, Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and Professor of Rheumatology at the University, says:

“This is one of the first studies to use this technology to explore bone geometry, density and microstructure in patients with heart disease.

The findings highlight the need to evaluate a history of heart disease in the management of osteoporosis in older people and further research is also needed to provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms which explain the link between osteoporosis and heart disease.”