Association between vertebral bone mineral density, myocardial perfusion, and long-term cardiovascular outcomes: A sex-specific analysis

BACKGROUND Sexual dimorphism in the manifestation of coronary artery disease (CAD) has unleashed a call to reconsider cardiovascular risk assessment. Alterations of bone mineral density (BMD) have been associated with congestive heart failure and appear to be modified by sex. However, the sex-specific association between BMD, myocardial perfusion, and cardiovascular outcomes is currently unknown. METHODS A total number of 491 patients (65.9 ± 10.7 years, 32.4% women) underwent N-ammonia positron emission tomography/computed tomography for evaluation of CAD, and were tracked for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). RESULTS Event-free survival (median follow-up time of 4.3 ± 2.0 years) was significantly reduced in patients with low (≤ 100 Hounsfield units) compared to those with higher BMD (log-rank P = .037). Accordingly, reduced BMD was chosen as significant predictor of MACE in a fully adjusted proportional hazards regression model (P = .015). Further, a first-order interaction term consisting of sex and BMD was statistically significant (P = .007). BMD was significantly lower in patients with abnormal myocardial perfusion or impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (P < .05). This difference, however, was noticed in men, but not in women. CONCLUSIONS The association between low BMD and cardiovascular disease is sex dependent. Our data suggest that quantification of BMD during myocardial perfusion imaging for evaluation of CAD may be particularly useful in men