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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 19, 2015 5:44 PM IST
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and osteoporosis are common age-related conditions associated with subsequent disability, morbidity and mortality. Till recently, these conditions were considered by the medical fraternity, unrelated conditions affecting the elderly population mostly. However, recent studies shows that age alone is not enough to explain the strong link between the two conditions. There are several other links like shared risk factors, common genetic factors and common pathophysiological mechanisms.
Various research link heart failure to thinning of the bones and thus, an increased risk of fractures. People, who have suffered from a heart failure, have a 30% higher risk of major fractures than those who have not. This makes aggressive screening for osteoporosis essential for heart failure patients.
Speaking on this topic, Dr. Ripen Kumar Gupta, Associate Director, Fortis Flt Rajan Dhall Hospital, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi said, Elderly people with a history of heart disease are found to have substantially lower bone density levels. The effect is more prominent in women. Globally one in every three women and one in every five men are at risk of an osteoporotic fracture. The reason for this is that Estrogen protects the heart and bones from aging. With the loss of this hormone post menopause, the incidence of osteoporosis and heart attacks increases in high-risk women. However shocking this might come to sound, but an osteoporotic fracture is estimated to occur every 3 seconds. Patients who have suffered conditions such as angina, heart attack or heart failure are typically found to have a lower bone mineral density than those who have not. Thus keeping in mind that people with heart disease are more likely to develop osteoporosis, screening for risk factors must be done in heart patients. (Read: Are you at risk of suffering from osteoporosis?)
Adding to this,Dr. Santosh Kumar Agarwal, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Kailash Hospital & Heart Institute, Noida said, Many individuals above the age of 50 years of age are recommended calcium supplements basis the results of the bone densitometry test to prevent osteoporosis This poses an increased risk of heart disease given that calcium can accumulate in the arteries reducing their responsiveness to the demands of the body. Rigid arteries contribute to high blood pressure, angina, and heart failure. It is always encouraged that people at a higher risk of heart disease eat calcium rich food and do not entirely depend on supplementation. All heart patients must also be screened for Osteoporosis given their close link and the hidden nature of the disease. Osteoporosis typically is present without any stark symptoms until the bone fractures occur. This can be extremely painful and dangerous in the elderly leading to disability and even mortality. It is thus necessary to determine the risk in advance and take necessary precautions. (Read: 3 common symptoms of osteoporosis you should know about)
Osteoporotic bone fractures are primarily responsible for causing considerable pain, decreased quality of life, lost workdays, and disability. Given the established link between ischemic heart disease and cortical bone loss and increased cortical porosity and possibly fracture risk at the radius, awareness generation is crucial.On the eve of World Osteoporosis Day, it is important that these risk factors are identified, and more research is done in this regard to help improve the standards of care and treatment options for elderly patients suffering from any of these two ailments. (Read: You can prevent the onset of osteoporosis!)
Photo source: Getty images
