Ten-year predicted coronary heart disease risk in HIV-infected men and women

Summary:

Recent studies suggest that some people with HIV infection may have an increased chance of developing cardiovascular diseases, which are diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels. We examined information on “risk factors” such as smoking, diagnoses of high blood pressure, diabetes, and levels of fats (“good” and “bad” cholesterol) in the blood that may affect risk of cardiovascular disease. Compared with HIV-uninfected men, HIV- infected men tended to have more of these cardiovascular risk factors. However, HIV- infected women did not have increased cardiovascular risk factors overall compared with HIV-uninfected women. HIV-infected individuals who had low income and who used protease inhibitor-based medication regimens tended to have more cardiovascular disease risk factors. Relatively few HIV-infected men and women in the MACS and WIHS studies had what doctors consider high risk for cardiovascular disease, based on their information about smoking, diagnoses of high blood pressure, diabetes, and levels of fats (“good” and “bad” cholesterol). However, it is important to address the high rate of smoking and obesity found in this study; improving these factors may not only decrease cardiovascular risk, but may also have good effects on HIV disease progression.

Citation: 

Kaplan RC, Kingsley LA, Sharrett AR, Li X, Lazar J, Tien PC, Mack WJ, Cohen MH, Jacobson L and Gange SJ. Ten-year predicted coronary heart disease risk in HIV-infected men and women. Clin Infect Dis 2007;45:1074-1081.