Comparison of prevalence of atherosclerotic vascular disease in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or osteopenia versus without osteoporosis or osteopenia.

Atherosclerotic vascular disease (AVD) and osteoporosis or osteopenia are common conditions among postmenopausal women and appear to be linked in a manner that is not fully understood. In a retrospective study that was conducted among 1,000 postmenopausal women who were seen in a general medicine clinic, AVD was more commonly seen among women with osteoporosis (92 of 154, 60%) than among those with osteopenia (63 of 179, 35%, p <0.001) or no osteoporosis or osteopenia (148 of 667, 22%, p <0.001). AVD was also more prevalent in women with osteopenia than in those with no osteoporosis or osteopenia (p <0.001). Modifiable risk factors for AVD were present to the same extent in women with osteoporosis, osteopenia, or no osteoporosis or osteopenia.