Scientists at the University of Southampton have found a link between coronary heart disease and osteoporosis, suggesting that the two diseases may have similar etiologies. The findings were published in the International Journal of Osteoporosis (Osteoporosis International). In one of the studies, which used a special scanning technique, researchers found that people with a history of heart disease had substantially lower cortical volume bone density in the wrist bone (distal radius) than those without a history of the disease. By using a state-of-the-art technique called “high-resolution quantitative peripheral computed tomography,” researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Life Epidemiology Organization in Southampton were able to visualize multiple layers of wrist bone in roughly the same way that a 3D printer can build a layer of objects. These cross-sectional graphics are used to assess the symptoms of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones weak and more prone to fractures. 350 men and women aged 70 to 85 years were included in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study and the technology was applied to this study. The study showed that subjects with coronary heart disease (or ischemic heart disease), such as angina, heart attack or heart failure, had lower cortical volume bone density. This phenomenon was more prominent in women than in men. This is the first study to use this technique to explore the geometry, density and microstructure of bone in patients with heart disease. The findings highlight the need to evaluate the management of osteoporosis in older adults with a history of heart disease and that further and better understanding of the underlying mechanisms is still needed to explain the link between osteoporosis and heart disease.