How cardiovascular health affects bone density

A healthy heart lifestyle may be key to stronger bones. A new study will reveal how cardiovascular health affects bone mineral density across different ages and health groups.

Study: Association of Essential Life 8 and Bone Mineral Density in Adults Ages 20-59. Image credit: April stock/shutterstock

In a recent study published in Journal Scientific Reports, researchers found that the association between Life Essential 8 (LE8) scores and bone mineral density (BMD) in adults aged 20-59 across diverse demographic and health subgroups Sexual investigation was conducted.

background

Osteoporosis, marked by a reduction in BMD, poses a significant health risk, especially for individuals over 50 years of age, with over 30% of women and 20% of men at risk of fractures. Shared risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome-linked osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. New evidence suggests that cardiovascular health measured with LE8 may affect BMD through mechanisms such as reduced inflammation, improved calcium metabolism, and hormonal regulation. Exploring this connection can improve understanding of the mechanisms of osteoporosis and may inform prevention and treatment strategies. Further research is essential to clarify the underlying pathways and to develop targeted interventions.

About the research

This study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018, including 39,156 participants. Exclusion criteria include participants age 59 or older, women over the age of 20, postmenopausal (high-risk group for osteoporosis), people with chronic diseases affecting bone metabolism, people with incomplete data, fractures or Includes people with a history of osteoporosis. After exclusion, 2,159 participants were still between 20 and 59 years of age.

LE8, a cardiovascular health indicator introduced by the American Heart Association, provides four health behaviors (eating, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep health) and four health factors (body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, and It consists of blood sugar and blood pressure). LE8 scores ranging from 0 to 100 were calculated using the verified method. Dual-energy X-ray absorption measurements (DXA) measured BMD at multiple anatomical sites.

Covariates include demographics, lifestyle, and clinical factors such as age, race, smoking, alcohol consumption, vitamin D intake, and laboratory measurements. The analysis was performed using R software and tailored to the three models. Unadjusted, adjusted to age/gender/racial, and fully adjusted for socioeconomic, lifestyle and clinical confounding factors. Statistical analysis, including weighted linear regression and subgroup analysis, assessed the relationship between LE8 scores and BMD. Results were adjusted for multiple confounding factors and significance was defined as p <0.05.

Research Results

The study included a total of 2,159 participants, with 52.15% male and mean age of 36.61 ± 10.95 years. Participants in the high cardiovascular health (CVH) group were more likely to be non-Hispanic whites with higher education levels and better socioeconomic status, compared to the low CVH group, and were primarily female. was more likely to be non-Hispanic white. They also showed a lower alcohol consumption and a higher prevalence than smokers.

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were within the normal range, but were significantly higher in the high CVH group and significantly lower BMI. An upward trend in lumbar vertebrae and trunk BMD was observed as CVH scores increased. Furthermore, individuals with hypertension and diabetes in the high CVH group were significantly less (P <0.05).

Weighted multivariate linear regression showed a positive association between LE8 scores and BMD at multiple anatomical sites. The fully adjusted model showed LE8 scores with lumbar vertebrae (β=0.016, p <0.001), chest (β=0.009, p <0.001), trunk (β=0.013, p <0.001), and total BMD (β = 0.010, p <0.001). Participants with high CVH showed an increase of 0.042 g/cm² for lumbar BMD, 0.033 g/cm² for thoracic BMD, 0.046 g/cm² for trunk BMD, and 0.049 g/cm² for total BMD compared to the low CVH group. Ta. However, no significant association was found between LE8 scores and head BMD. This was attributed to the author's measurement challenges inherent in the skull. Smooth curve fitting analysis confirmed a positive linear correlation between LE8 scores and BMD at all other sites.

Subgroup analysis highlighted significant variation across age and BMI categories. Participants ages 20-34 years old had a maximum of every 10 points increase associated with a gain of LE8 score of 0.022 g/cm² for lumbar BMD, 0.012 g/cm² for sternal spinal BMD, and 0.017 g/cm² for trunk BMD. BMD increased. 0.013 g/cm² for total BMD (P <0.05).

In BMI-specific analyses, analysis of the normal BMI range (18.5-24.9) produced greater BMD gain than in the underweight or overweight group. For underweight and overweight individuals, LE8 scores showed no significant association with BMD. For every 10 point increase in the LE8 score, normal BMI individuals achieved 0.020 g/cm² for lumbar BMD, 0.014 g/cm² for thoracic BMD, 0.021 g/cm² for trunk BMD, and 0.018 g/cm² for total BMD ( PP <0.05).

Gender-specific analyses revealed a positive association between LE8 scores and thoracic BMD among women (β=0.011, p <0.001), and no significant association was observed in men.

Conclusion

This study identified a significant positive association between LE8 scores and BMD at various sites, and a stronger effect is observed in individuals with high CVH. In particular, young people (20-34 years) and women with sternum spinal BMD show more prominent benefits, affected by active bone metabolism and hormonal factors such as estrogen. The authors say that complying with diets such as dashes (high calcium, low sodium), physical activity, and smoking cessation, LE8 ingredients optimize calcium absorption, reduce oxidative stress, and stabilize hormone levels. We noticed that BMD can be enhanced by this.

Healthy behaviors reflected in LE8, such as a balanced diet, physical activity, and optimal BMI, support both cardiovascular and bone health. These findings highlight the potential of LE8 as a practical tool to assess bone health and guide individualized osteoporosis prevention strategies. However, cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and exclusion of postmenopausal women limits generalization to this high-risk population. Future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.