The associations of volumetric (vBMD) and areal (aBMD) bone mineral density measures with prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and subclinical peripheral arterial disease (PAD) were investigated in a cohort of older men and women enrolled in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Participants were 3,075, well-functioning white and black men and women (42% black, 51% women), aged 68-80 years. The prevalence of CVD (defined by coronary heart disease, PAD, cerebrovascular disease, or congestive heart failure) was 29.8%. Among participants without CVD, 10% had subclinical PAD. Spine vBMD measures were inversely associated with CVD in men. In women integral vBMD, cortical vBMD, or trochanter aBMD, the odds of CVD were significantly increased by 28%, 27%, and 22%, respectively. Total hip aBMD was associated with subclinical PAD in men but not in women. The risults of the study provide further evidence for an inverse association between BMD and CVD in men and women.