Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors in HIV-infected patients

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Wiesława Kwiatkowska1, Brygida Knysz, Justyna Drelichowska-Durawa

  • 1Department of Angiology, Regional Specialist Hospital in Wroclaw, Research and Development Center, Poland. kwiatkowska_w@interia.pl

Postepy Higieny I Medycyny Doswiadczalnej (Online)
|December 17, 2011
PubMed

Insights

HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy have increased cardiovascular disease risk due to more advanced subclinical atherosclerosis. Key factors influencing carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) include age, hypertension, cholesterol, and ARV treatment duration.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • HIV infection and antiretroviral (ARV) drug use are associated with elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
  • Subclinical atherosclerosis, a precursor to CVD, requires further investigation in HIV-positive individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess carotid artery subclinical atherosclerosis progression (carotid intima-media thickness [cIMT] and plaque incidence) in HIV patients.
  • To analyze the relationship between cIMT and cardiovascular disease risk factors within this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of 72 HIV-infected patients and 27 HIV-negative controls, matched for age and sex.
  • Data collection included HIV/ARV status, cardiovascular risk factors, and carotid artery ultrasound (cIMT, plaque assessment).

Main Results:

  • HIV patients exhibited more advanced carotid atherosclerosis (higher cIMT and plaque incidence).
  • Significant differences in cardiovascular risk profiles were observed, including lower BMI, higher WHR, altered lipid profiles (lower cholesterol, higher triglycerides), and increased smoking prevalence.
  • cIMT strongly correlated with age, hypertension, non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol, and ARV duration. Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and lifetime smoking also impacted cIMT.

Conclusions:

  • HIV-infected individuals, particularly those on ARV therapy, display accelerated subclinical atherosclerosis.
  • Cardiovascular risk factor management and monitoring are crucial in HIV patients to mitigate atherosclerosis progression.
Abstract

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