Bone-vascular cross-talk

Increasing numbers of cross-sectional studies on general populations and chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have reported relationships between cardiovascular calcifications and bone disorders, including osteoporosis, osteopenia and high or low bone activity. The mechanisms Underlying this bone-cardiovascular axis and biological links between bone and arterial abnormalities are suggestive of bone-vascular cross-talk. The nature of these links is not well understood and could result from 1) common factors acting on bone remodeling and arterial calcification; 2) compromised bone blood supply responsible for arteriosclerosis of bone vessels and reduced perfusion; and/or 3) direct action of bone cells (osteoblasts/osteocytes) on vascular biology and structure. Inflammation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species are the principal common pathways linking bone and arterial pathologies.