Association between cortical bone microstructure and statin use in older women

Context Treatment with statins has been associated with increased bone mineral density, but whether this association depends on differences in cortical or trabecular volumetric bone microstructure is unknown. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate if treatment with statins is associated with bone microstructure and geometry in older women. Design Setting and Participants Older women were included in a population-based study of 3028 women (mean age ± SD, 77.8 ± 1.6 years) from the greater Gothenburg area in Sweden. Information regarding medical history, medication, and lifestyle factors was obtained from validated questionnaires. Main Outcome Bone geometry and microstructure were measured at the ultradistal and distal (14%) site of radius and tibia using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Results The 803 women in the cohort who used statins had higher body weight, worse physical function, and more frequent cardiovascular disease and diabetes than nonusers (P < 0.05). Statin users had lower cortical porosity (radius, 2.2 ± 1.9 vs 2.5 ± 2.0%; tibia, 5.2 ± 2.4 vs 5.4 ± 2.5; P = 0.01), higher cortical bone density (radius, 1008 ± 39.1 vs 1001 ± 38.4 mg/cm3; tibia, 919 ± 42.6 vs 914 ± 41.5; P < 0.01), and greater cortical area (radius, 60.5 ± 9.6 vs 58.6 ± 9.7 mm2; tibia, 150.0 ± 23.6 vs 146.7 ± 23.8; P < 0.01) than nonusers after adjustment for a large number of confounders, including age, weight, smoking, other medications, and prevalent diseases. Conclusions Use of statins was associated with better cortical bone characteristics in older women.