Background: Menopause, as a risk factor, increases the risk of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases, particularly osteoporosis. It seems that common mechanisms are involved in the increased incidence of these conditions. In this study, the association between carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and bone mineral density (BMD) was examined in women after natural menopause. Methods: In this cross sectional study, 80 healthy postmenopausal women were examined in the osteoporotic (n=45) and health (n=45) groups based on BMD test results. Common carotid artery IMT was measured using B-mode ultrasound, and average CIMT was compared between the two groups. Results: The mean CIMT of both sides in this study was 0.69±0.09 mm. This value was 0.63±0.07 mm in healthy women and 0.75±0.07 in osteoporotic women (p<0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, a significant relationship was found between CIMT and BMD test results (p<0.001). Conclusion: Increased CIMT is independently associated with Low bone density in postmenopausal women.
