Abdominal aortic calcification correlates with rapid weight loss among older women, a factor linked to higher chances of falls and fractures. This connection has been reported in a study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology ATVB.
Rapid weight loss is defined here as a drop in body weight greater than 5 percent within any 12 month period over a five year follow up. Such loss may accompany an elevated risk of falls, fractures, Alzheimer’s disease, and overall poorer health outcomes, particularly in later life.
In the new study, 929 older women were followed for five years. By the end, 39.4 percent had experienced rapid weight loss. Those women faced a significantly higher risk of death, about 49 percent greater, over the next roughly nine and a half years. The risk climb was even sharper for those losing more than 10 percent of their weight in a single year, reaching about 87 percent.
The findings also showed that moderate to extensive abdominal aortic calcification was linked to a 36 percent and 58 percent greater likelihood of rapid weight loss, respectively. The results persisted after adjusting for diet, blood pressure, cholesterol, and physical activity, suggesting that calcification itself could play a direct role in weight changes at an advanced age.
Traditionally, weight loss therapy emphasizes increasing protein and calorie intake. Yet the study observed that women who met daily nutritional and caloric requirements still experienced weight loss. A plausible explanation is that calcification of the abdominal aorta may hinder blood flow to the intestines, potentially reducing nutrient absorption. This mechanism could help explain why standard dietary interventions often fail to achieve sustained weight loss in older adults.
Earlier work in laboratory settings showed that antibiotics could restore jawbone and hipbone integrity in aged mice, hinting at complex interactions between gut health, nutrient uptake, and skeletal robustness as people age, though such findings require further investigation in humans. ATVB research continues to explore how vascular calcification relates to metabolic and musculoskeletal health in aging populations.