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Published on: February 7, 2015

Relationship between ankle-brachial index and carotid intima-media thickness in HIV-infected patients

Félix Gutiérrez1, Enrique Bernal, Sergio Padilla

  • 1Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain.

AIDS (London, England)
|June 27, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Ankle-brachial index predicts atherosclerosis in HIV-positive individuals. Low ankle-brachial index, not high, correlated with increased carotid intima-media thickness, indicating systemic atherosclerosis.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Vascular Biology

Background:

  • Systemic atherosclerosis is a concern in aging populations.
  • Ankle-brachial index (ABI) indicates atherosclerosis in HIV-negative adults.
  • The predictive value of ABI for atherosclerosis in HIV-positive individuals is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between ankle-brachial index and subclinical atherosclerosis in HIV-infected patients.
  • To determine if low or high ABI values predict atherosclerosis in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Ankle-brachial index (ABI) was measured in 139 HIV-infected patients.
  • Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, was assessed.
  • ABI values were compared with CIMT measurements.

Main Results:

  • A significant association was found between ABI and CIMT.
  • Patients with a low ABI exhibited higher CIMT.
  • Individuals with a high ABI did not show a similar association with increased CIMT.

Conclusions:

  • Low ankle-brachial index is a predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis in HIV-infected individuals.
  • The findings suggest that ABI assessment may be valuable for cardiovascular risk stratification in this cohort.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the clinical implications of these findings.

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