Hypertension and related
cardiovascular diseases are reported to be associated with
osteoporosis. A nutritional pathway related to dairy intake has been postulated for both diseases. The aim of this study was to assess
calcium intake from dairy sources as a possible pathogenic link between
osteoporosis and
hypertension. This was a cross-sectional observational study performed on 3,301 postmenopausal women referred for a densitometry screening.
Osteoporosis was diagnosed by lumbar dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and
hypertension was defined by blood pressure data and/or the use of
antihypertensive medication. Dairy food consumption was evaluated using a weekly food-frequency questionnaire. The odds of being affected by
osteoporosis,
hypertension, or both diseases were calculated for quartiles of dairy intake by logistic regression analyses. Women with
hypertension were affected more frequently by
osteoporosis (33.2 vs. 23.3 %; p = 0.000), and there was a higher prevalence of
hypertension among women with
osteoporosis (32.2 vs. 22.5 %; p = 0.000). The proportion of women with
hypertension,
osteoporosis, and both diseases significantly increased across decreasing quartiles of dairy intake. A dairy intake in the lowest quartile was a significant predictor of
osteoporosis [OR (95 % CI): 1.43 (1.12, 1.82)] and
hypertension [OR (95 % CI): 1.46 (1.15, 1.85)] when compared to the highest quartile. Similarly, a low dairy intake was associated with increased odds to have both the diseases [OR (95 % CI): 1.60 (1.10, 2.34)]. From these results we conclude that
osteoporosis and
hypertension are associated in postmenopausal women, and a low dairy intake may increase the risk of both diseases, acting as a possible pathogenic link.