YULIA A. KLYUSHKINА's scientific contributions

Introduction. There are about 16 million people aged 50 or older in the Russian Federation, who are affected by osteoporosis. At the same time, significantly many of these individuals undergo mammography, a diagnostic procedure that effectiently detects vascular calcifications. Aim. To assess the serum biochemistry parameters reflecting the bone turnover, as well as the bone densitometry values and fracture risk in women, depending on the degree of breast vascular calcifications found in mammography. Materials and Methods. We observed 56 women aged 39-81 years (average age: 63.66±1.24) sent to screening mammography in 2018. Results and Discussion. Patients who had newly discovered vascular calcifications showed a significant increase (6.98%) in their total serum calcium levels as compared to women without calcifications. Among women with calcifications, those with grade 3-4 calcifications had the highest median levels of both medium and maximum thyrostimulating hormone (TSH). Additionally, women with grade 1-2 calcifications had the highest median levels of maximum total serum calcium, which were significantly (3.7%) higher than those in women without calcifications and significantly (6.8%) higher than those in women with grade 3-4 calcifications. In women with 3-4 degree calcifications, both the mean and minimum values of the median T-test for L1-L4 vertebral body mineral density were 91% lower than in the group with grade 1-2 grade calcifications. Furthermore, they were 34% lower than in women without calcifications. Patients with grade 1-2 calcifications had the lowest risk of major fractures, as assessed by the FRAX index. At the same time, median of the minimum FRAX value during the follow-up period for patients with grade 1-2 calcifications was significantly (61%) lower than in women without calcifications. Furthermore, it was also significantly (70%) lower than in women with grade 3-4 calcifications.Conclusions. Detecting evident (grades 3-4 according to the classification we have proposed) breast vascular calcifications found in mammography is associated with the lower values of lumbar bone mineral density, indicating osteoporosis. This phenomenon primarily reflects the prospective fracture risk changes rather than retrospective ones, i.e. they precede the increase in the risk of osteoporotic fractures to the critical threshold.