Hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease in African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS

Therapeutic advances have resulted in an epidemiological shift in the predominant causes of hospitalization for patients with HIV/AIDS. An emerging cause for hospitalization in this patient population is cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, data are limited regarding how this shift affects different racial groups. The objective of this observational, retrospective study was to evaluate the association between race and hospitalization for CVD in African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS and to compare the types of CVD-related hospitalizations between African Americans and whites with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 1.5 million hospital discharges from the US National Hospital Discharge Surveys for the years of 1996 to 2008 were identified. After controlling for potential confounders, the odds of CVD-related hospitalization in patients with HIV/AIDS were 45% higher for African Americans than whites (odds ratio [OR]=1.45, 95% CI, 1.39-1.51). Other covariates that were associated with increased odds of hospitalization for CVD included chronic kidney disease (OR=1.43, 95% CI, 1.36-1.51), age≥50 years (OR=3.22, 95% CI, 2.94-3.54), region in the Southern United States (OR=1.17, 95% CI, 1.11-1.23), and Medicare insurance coverage (OR=1.71, 95% CI, 1.60-1.83). Male sex was not significantly associated with the study outcome (OR=0.99, 95% CI, 0.96-1.02). Compared to whites with HIV/AIDS, African Americans with HIV/AIDS had more hospitalizations for heart failure and hypertension, but fewer hospitalizations for stroke and coronary heart disease. In conclusion, African Americans with HIV/AIDS have increased odds of CVD-related hospitalization as compared to whites with HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, the most common types of CVD-related hospitalizations differ significantly in African Americans and whites.