Heart disease may be linked to osteoporosis, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the University of Southampton found that people with a history of heart disease had substantially lower bone mineral density in their wrist than those without.

"This is one of the first studies to use this technology to explore bone geometry, density and microstructure in patients with heart disease," researcher Cyrus Cooper said in a statement. For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data 350 men and women between the ages of 70 and 85 years. They used a "state-of-the-art technique"called "high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography" to visualize multiple layers of the wrist bone, in much the same way a 3D printer might build up layers of an object.

They found that cortical volumetric bone mineral density was lower among participants with coronary heart disease (or ischaemic heart disease) such as angina, heart attack or heart failure. The effect was more prominent in women than in men.

"The findings highlight the need to evaluate a history of heart disease in the management of osteoporosis in older people and further research is also needed to provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms which explain the link between osteoporosis and heart disease," Cooper, who is also the director of Southampton's Medical Research Council (MRC) Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, said in a statement.

The findings are detailed in the journal Osteoporosis International.