Are Physical Fitness and CRP Related to Framingham Risk Score in HIV+ Adults?

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• People living with HIV (PLWH) face elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
• The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) is a key metric for predicting 10-year CVD risk.
• Established relationships between FRS, physical fitness, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in PLWH are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between FRS, physical fitness parameters, and CRP levels in PLWH.
• To determine if aerobic capacity and muscular strength correlate with CVD risk in this population.
• To explore the role of CRP as a potential biomarker for CVD risk in PLWH.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-seven PLWH were enrolled and underwent comprehensive biomarker assessments.
• The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) was calculated using standard variables.
• Regression analyses were performed to identify significant predictors of FRS, including fitness and CRP levels.

Main Results:

• Men exhibited a significantly higher FRS (12.8) compared to women (6.0).
• Aerobic capacity predicted FRS in men, but not in women; muscular strength showed no predictive value for FRS in either gender.
• Women had substantially higher CRP levels (7.9 mg/L) than men (3.5 mg/L), with CRP unrelated to FRS in both groups.

Conclusions:

• Aerobic fitness is a significant predictor of cardiovascular risk in men living with HIV.
• Muscular strength and C-reactive protein levels were not found to be related to FRS in either men or women with HIV.
• Further research is needed to definitively establish the links between physical fitness, CRP, and CVD risk in the PLWH population.