The association of bone mineral density measures with incident cardiovascular disease in older adults.

UNLABELLED: The associations of volumetric and areal bone mineral density (BMD) measures with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) were studied in a biracial cohort of 2,310 older adults. BMD measures were inversely related to CVD in women and white men, independent of age and shared risk factors for osteoporosis and CVD. INTRODUCTION: We investigated the associations of volumetric (vBMD) and areal (aBMD) bone mineral density measures with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults enrolled in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study. METHODS: The incidence of CVD was ascertained in 2,310 well-functioning white and black participants (42% black; 55% women), aged 68-80 years. aBMD measures of the hip were assessed using DXA. Spine trabecular, integral, and cortical vBMD measures were obtained using QCT. RESULTS: During an average follow-up of 5.4 years, 23% of men and 14% of women had incident CVD. Spine vBMD measures were inversely associated with incident CVD in white men [HR(integral)=1.39, 95% CI 1.03-1.87; HR(cortical)=1.38, 95% CI 1.03-1.84], but not in black men. In women, aBMD measures of the total hip (HR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.03-1.78), femoral neck (HR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.10-1.90), and trochanter (HR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.04-1.72) exhibited significant associations with CVD in blacks, but not in whites. All associations were independent of age and shared risk factors between osteoporosis and CVD, and were not explained by inflammatory cytokines or oxidized LDL. CONCLUSION: Our results provide support for an inverse association between BMD and incident CVD. Further research should elucidate possible pathophysiological mechanisms linking osteoporosis and CVD.

Volumetric and areal bone mineral density measures are associated with cardiovascular disease in older men and women: the health, aging, and body composition study.

The associations of volumetric (vBMD) and areal (aBMD) bone mineral density measures with prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and subclinical peripheral arterial disease (PAD) were investigated in a cohort of older men and women enrolled in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. Participants were 3,075 well-functioning white and black men and women (42% black, 51% women), aged 68-80 years. Total hip, femoral neck, and trochanter aBMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Quantitative computed tomography was used to evaluate spine trabecular, integral, and cortical vBMD measures in a subgroup (n = 1,489). Logistic regression was performed to examine associations of BMD measures with CVD and PAD. The prevalence of CVD (defined by coronary heart disease, PAD, cerebrovascular disease, or congestive heart failure) was 29.8%. Among participants without CVD, 10% had subclinical PAD (defined as ankle-arm index <0.9). Spine vBMD measures were inversely associated with CVD in men (odds ratio of integral [OR(integral)] = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.63; OR(trabecular )= 1.25, 95% CI 1.02-1.53; OR(cortical )= 1.36, 95% CI 1.11-1.65). In women, for each standard deviation decrease in integral vBMD, cortical vBMD, or trochanter aBMD, the odds of CVD were significantly increased by 28%, 27%, and 22%, respectively. Total hip aBMD was associated with subclinical PAD in men (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.03-1.84) but not in women. All associations were independent of age and shared risk factors between BMD and CVD and were not influenced by inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factors-alpha). In conclusion, our results provide further evidence for an inverse association between BMD and CVD in men and women. Future research should investigate common pathophysiological links for osteoporosis and CVD.

Seasonal changes in the composition of the essential oil extract of East Mediterranean sage (Salvia libanotica) and its toxicity in mice.

Sage (Salvia libanotica) is an East Mediterranean plant, the extract of which is used for the treatment of colds, coughs, and stomach ache. Experimental studies on the toxicity of its oil are scarce despite its wide use in traditional medicine. This study aims to provide data on its acute toxicity and to investigate the relationship between seasonal changes in oil composition and toxicity. The composition of the oil extract from the leaves of this plant was determined at four different times of the year; August (summer), October (fall), January (winter) and April (spring). The toxicity of each fraction was investigated following intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection into mice. Distillations of oils from plants and GC analyses revealed that the main constituent of sage oil is 1,8-cineole. Other components included ketones such as camphor and alpha,beta-thujone, terpenes such as limonene and alpha,beta-pinene, and alcohols such as borneol and linalool. Major seasonal changes were found in the composition of the oil. Essential oil extracted from plants collected in the winter season (January) contained higher levels of camphor (12.3%), alpha,beta-thujone (1.9%), and camphene (4.8%). The winter extract was found to be the most toxic, (LD(50): 839 mg/kg body weight) and exhibited powerful convulsant properties. This indicates a strong correlation between the contents of camphor, thujones and camphene and the oils' toxicity. The spring extract was the least toxic (LD(50): 1200 mg/kg body weight) and contained lower levels of camphor (7.7%), alpha,beta-thujone (1.3%) and camphene (3.1%). Thus, we recommend that oil extracts of sage marketed for use in certain unconventional medicines be prepared from spring plants.