title: Relationship between intima-media thickness and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoporosis and atherosclerosis are two conditions that confer the major cause of mortality and morbidity in postmenopausal women. Several studies have suggested that these two conditions are negatively correlated by a common pathway. The aim of our study was to show a relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT), as two factors that are directly related to osteoporosis and atherosclerosis respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 136 postmenopausal women that presented at the Radiology Clinic of our hospital for BMD measurements. The CIMT was measured using High Resolution B mode Ultrasonography; BMD was measured at the lumbar spine and femoral neck using Dual-energy X-Ray Absorptiometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean IMT value in osteoporotic women (0.7±0.1 mm) was significantly higher compared to non-osteoporotic women (0.6±0.1 mm, P < 0.001). A significant negative correlation was found between CIMT and the T score of lumbar spine (r=-0.35; P < 0.001) and femoral neck (r=-0.23, P < 0.001), as well as Z score of the lumbar spine (r=-0.27, P=0.004). No significant correlation was found between CIMT and Z score of the femoral neck.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that bone mineral density and carotid intima media thickness are negatively correlated, thus showing a possible relationship between osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. However, more research is necessary to determine the pathway that connects these two conditions.
authors: Department of Radiology, Solid Tumor Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences Urmia 5716763111, Iran.
authors: Afshin
authors: A
authors: Mohammadi
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Imam Khomaini Hospital, Urmia University of Medical Sciences Urmia 5716763111, Iran.
authors: Kamran
authors: K
authors: Shateri
authors: Department of Radiology, Solid Tumor Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences Urmia 5716763111, Iran.
authors: Farhad
authors: F
authors: Behzadi
authors: Department of Radiology, Solid Tumor Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences Urmia 5716763111, Iran.
authors: Tooraj
authors: T
authors: Maleki-Miandoab
authors: College of Science and Mathematics, University of Massachusetts Boston Boston, MA 02125, United States ; Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.
authors: Emal
authors: E
authors: Lesha
authors: Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School Cambridge, MA 02139, United States ; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Ghasemi-Rad
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Imam Khomaini Hospital, Urmia University of Medical Sciences Urmia 5716763111, Iran.
authors: Yousef
authors: Y
authors: Rosta
keywords: Bone mineral density; carotid intima media thickness; osteoporosis; postmenopausal women