Usefulness of bone mineral density to predict significant coronary artery disease.

Low bone mineral density (BMD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) share common risk factors. To investigate whether low BMD (osteoporosis and/or osteopenia) independently predicts CAD compared with traditional cardiovascular risk factors, a retrospective analysis was performed in consecutive ambulatory patients (n = 209, 89% women) who underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and coronary angiography within the same 12-month period. Angiograms were classified as showing significant CAD if > or =50% luminal narrowing in a major coronary artery was noted.