Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio is associated with arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

• Systemic inflammation may be a common mechanism for the development of osteoporosis (OP) and atherosclerosis.
• Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an inexpensive marker, is increased in OP.
• BaPWV, an index of arterial stiffness, is elevated in OP.
• NLR is independently associated with arterial stiffness in OP.

ObjectiveSystemic inflammation may be a common mechanism for the development of osteoporosis (OP) and atherosclerosis. Elevated arterial stiffness is an index of subclinical atherosclerosis. Recent studies found that neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), is a useful marker of cardiovascular disease and a more powerful predictor than any other leukocyte subtypes. However, little research has been conducted to investigate the relationship between NLR and arterial stiffness measured by brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between NLR and baPWV in 512 subjects.ResultsCompared to the control subjects, NLR and baPWV increased in patients with OP. Partial correlation analysis revealed that there was a significant correlation between NLR and baPWV after adjusting for confounding factors in OP. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that NLR was a significant factor for increased baPWV in patients with OP (β = 0.249, p < 0.001). However, there was no association between NLR and baPWV in control subjects.ConclusionNLR and baPWV are elevated in OP. Moreover, NLR is independently associated with baPWV. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether anti-inflammatory treatment could improve arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with OP.