Abstract
Several cross-sectional and prospective studies highlight the existence of an association between bone fractures and abdominal aortic calcifications, especially if particularly severe and independent from confounders such as aging, smoking habits and diabetes. This phenomenon affects not only the general population but also patients with chronic kidney disease in which cortical bone lesions are prevalent. Moreover, bone fractures and aortic calcifications have been proved to be linked to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, both in the general populations and in patients with chronic kidney disease, who notoriously show elevated cardiovascular risks.
Therefore, diagnostic investigations about bone fractures and abdominal aortic calcifications, particularly in patients with chronic kidney disease, may represent a useful tool for identification of patients with a higher cardiovascular risk in order to optimize therapies for bone metabolism disorders.
KEYWORDS: Vertebral fractures, vascular calcifications, Chronic Kidney Disease, mortality