Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors
05:46

Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors

Published on: April 9, 2014

Statin usage and cardiovascular risk among people living with HIV in the U.S. Military HIV Natural History Study

Derek Larson1,2, Seung Hyun Won2,3, Anuradha Ganesan2,3,4

  • 1Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, USA.

HIV Medicine
|October 27, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Many people living with HIV (PLWH) eligible for statin therapy are not receiving it, particularly racial minorities. This highlights a gap in care for cardiovascular disease prevention in PLWH within the military health system.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality in people living with HIV (PLWH).
  • Adherence to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) management guidelines is crucial for CVD risk reduction in PLWH.
  • The US Military HIV Natural History Study provides a unique cohort for evaluating healthcare delivery for PLWH.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the rate of statin prescription among eligible people living with HIV (PLWH) according to 2013 ACC/AHA ASCVD guidelines.
  • To identify factors associated with statin underutilization in this population.
  • To evaluate racial and ethnic disparities in statin prescribing patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of people living with HIV (PLWH) from the US Military HIV Natural History Study.
  • Application of the 2013 ACC/AHA ASCVD management guidelines and the 10-year ASCVD pooled cohorts' equation to determine statin eligibility.
  • Analysis of prescription data from the Military Health System.

Main Results:

  • 31.9% of individuals met criteria for statin initiation, and 62.1% of all eligible subjects were receiving statin therapy.
  • Individuals of African American race and Hispanic ethnicity were less likely to receive statin prescriptions compared to white individuals.
  • Higher CD4 counts were associated with a higher likelihood of receiving statin prescriptions.

Conclusions:

  • Significant discrepancies exist between ASCVD guidelines and the primary care management of statin therapy for people living with HIV (PLWH) in the military health system.
  • Racial and ethnic disparities in statin prescribing are evident, necessitating targeted interventions.
  • Improving statin uptake among eligible PLWH is critical for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Abstract

Keywords:
HIVcardiovascular diseasemilitarypreventative medicineprimary carestatin

More Related Videos

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (Propensity Score) using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index06:55

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (Propensity Score) using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index

Published on: January 8, 2020

Oral Combinational Antiretroviral Treatment in HIV-1 Infected Humanized Mice06:07

Oral Combinational Antiretroviral Treatment in HIV-1 Infected Humanized Mice

Published on: October 6, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents01:20

Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents

Hyperlipidemia, a medical condition often referred to as high cholesterol, is characterized by abnormally elevated levels of lipids in the bloodstream. When present in excess, these lipids, specifically cholesterol and triglycerides, can lead to serious health complications, often involving cardiovascular diseases. Illnesses like atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and pancreatitis have all been linked to untreated hyperlipidemia. This means controlling and regulating cholesterol and triglyceride...
Sexually Transmitted Infections01:26

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases transmitted primarily through unsafe sexual interactions. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause them and can result in severe health complications if untreated.ChlamydiaThe bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the disease Chlamydia, the most common STI in the United States. This peculiar pathogen requires human cells to reproduce, residing intracellularly. The initial infection often goes unnoticed because it typically does not...
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors01:29

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is the clinical practice of measuring specific drug levels in a patient's blood or body tissues to manage and optimize therapy. TDM is crucial for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows, like warfarin and phenytoin, where incorrect doses can lead to treatment failure or severe side effects. This monitoring ensures the dosage administered is within a safe and effective range. The factors affecting therapeutic drug monitoring include:Patient-Specific Factors:a.
Myocarditis III: Medical Management01:14

Myocarditis III: Medical Management

Myocarditis: Comprehensive Medical ManagementMyocarditis, the heart muscle inflammation, requires a comprehensive medical management strategy that addresses the underlying cause, provides supportive care, manages symptoms, and reduces cardiac workload.Infections and Autoimmune CausesAdminister appropriate antimicrobial therapy when an infectious agent causes myocarditis. For instance, penicillin treats infections caused by Group A Streptococcus. In cases where autoimmune processes are...
Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures01:26

Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures

Effective preventive measures for coronary artery disease (CAD) focus on controlling modifiable risk factors, including cholesterol abnormalities and lifestyle changes.Cholesterol ManagementFirst, the Mediterranean diet and the American Heart Association advocate for maintaining low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels below 100 mg/dL, with a more stringent recommendation of below 70 mg/dL for individuals at high risk. LDL cholesterol, often termed "bad cholesterol," can lead to the...
Atherosclerosis III: Management01:26

Atherosclerosis III: Management

Management of atherosclerosis involves an integrated strategy encompassing pharmacological treatment, surgical interventions, lifestyle changes, and nutrition therapy to address the multifactorial nature of the disease.Pharmacological TherapyA cornerstone of atherosclerosis management is the use of pharmacological agents. Statins, such as atorvastatin, are pivotal in inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that catalyzes an initial step in cholesterol synthesis in the liver. This reduction in...