The bone-heart axis in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases: A narrative review

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) cause about 30% of deaths worldwide, increasing social and economic burden in our societies. Although the treatment of the canonical cardiovascular risk factors has reduced the impact of CVDs on morbidity and mortality in the past few years, they continue to represent a major health problem. The definition of the biological properties of the bone-heart axis has led to new insights in the pathogenesis of CVDs; hence, the aim of this review is to try to elucidate the role of this axis on the susceptibility to CVDs. There is evidence that the bone interacts with extra-skeletal organs, including the cardiovascular system, through its endocrine functions. Clinical and experimental data strongly indicate that the interplay between the bone and the cardiovascular system represents a future tool for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of CVDs. The identification of these non-canonical cardiovascular risk factors could prompt pharmacological research towards new target therapy aimed at precision medicine.

Keywords: Calcium-phosphate; Fibroblast growth factor 23; Osteocalcin; Parathormone; Sclerostin; Vitamin D.