Lack of correlation between aortic calcification and bone density.

Previous radiographic studies have suggested a positive relationship between two degenerative processes associated with aging: calcification of the abdominal aorta and osteoporosis. Such a relationship has not been studied using modern quantitative densitometry. Aortic calcification was quantified on spinal radiographs from 112 elderly men. Bone mineral density was determined at six scanning sites using photon densitometry. There was no significant correlation between aortic calcification and bone mineral density at any of the scanning sites when the effect of age was held constant in the statistical analysis.