Association of Carotid Artery Calcification Detected on Dental Panoramic Radiographs with a History of Osteoporosis Diagnosis without Prevalent Fractures - Abstract
Introduction: Aortic calcification seen on lateral radiographs might be an independent predictor of osteoporosis in the elderly. It is not clear whether the presence of carotid artery calcification (CAC) on dental panoramic radiographs (DPRs) is associated with osteoporosis. We examined the association between CAC on DPRs and a history of osteoporosis diagnosis without prevalent fractures.
Methods: Of 1132 Japanese patients (432 males, 700 females) age ? 50 years who underwent digital DPR to diagnose dental disease at our university hospital between 2007 and 2012, 542 (237 males, 305 females) participated in this study. The mean±SD age of the subjects was 68.4±7.7 years. One experienced oral and maxillofacial radiologist identified the presence of CAC. Information on subject lifestyles and disease histories was obtained using a structured questionnaire and confirmed in a telephone interview and from medical records. An independent t-test, chi square test, or Fisher’s exact test was used to compare differences in osteoporosis diagnosis without prevalent fractures, age, gender, body mass index, history of smoking, diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis between subjects with and without CAC. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio of having a history of osteoporosis diagnosis without prevalent fractures in subjects with CAC after adjusting for the covariates.
Results: Subjects with CAC had a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with osteoporosis without prevalent fractures than did subjects without CAC (P = 0.03). The crude odds ratio of having a history of an osteoporosis diagnosis without prevalent fractures in subjects with CAC was 2.45 (95% confidence
interval [CI] 1.06–5.62). The odds ratio after adjusting for covariates was 2.31 (95% CI 0.91–5.90).
Conclusions: The CAC incidentally detected on DPRs might be useful for identifying elderly males and females who should be referred for further examinations regarding osteoporosis.