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Risk of cardiovascular disease in HIV, hepatitis C, or HIV/hepatitis C patients compared to the general population

L Kakinami1, R C Block, M J Adams

  • 1Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA. lisa.kakinami@mcgill.ca

International Journal of Clinical Practice
|December 18, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis C (HCV) infection significantly elevates cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and vascular age in patients. Coinfection with HIV and HCV also increases CVD risk compared to the general population.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Effective antiretroviral therapy allows HIV patients to live longer, increasing concern about their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
  • The impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection on CVD risk in HIV patients remains unclear.
  • Comparing CVD risk in HIV, HCV, or HIV/HCV patients to the general population is crucial for risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and vascular age differences in persons with HIV, HCV, or HIV/HCV infection against the general population.
  • To determine if HCV coinfection modifies CVD risk in HIV-infected individuals.
  • To assess CVD risk stratification in co-infected and mono-infected patient groups.

Main Methods:

  • Patients with HIV, HCV, and HIV/HCV infection from Rochester, NY clinics (2004-2009) were sampled.
  • Uninfected individuals were randomly selected from NHANES and matched on gender, race, and age.
  • Multivariable linear regression analyses compared infection groups to matched general population controls.

Main Results:

  • HIV/HCV patients showed a 2% higher FRS (p=0.03) and 4.1 years greater vascular age (p=0.01) than the general population.
  • HCV patients exhibited a 2.4% higher FRS (p<0.001) and 4.4 years greater vascular age (p<0.001).
  • Elevated CVD risk was observed in HIV patients, but not significantly different from the general population.

Conclusions:

  • Cardiovascular disease risk is significantly elevated in individuals with HCV infection compared to the general population.
  • Coinfection with HIV and HCV also leads to increased cardiovascular disease risk.
  • These findings highlight the need for vigilant cardiovascular risk management in HCV-infected and HIV/HCV-coinfected populations.
Abstract

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