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Signal Acquisition, Score Interpretation, and Economics of a Non-Invasive Point-of-Care Test for Coronary Artery Disease
Published on: August 9, 2024
Brief Report: Detectable Coronary Artery Score Among People Living With HIV With Regional, Study, and Population
Jose Luis Paredes1, Franco Matos2, Danai Bemplidaki3
1Internal Medicine, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
Insights
Nearly half of people living with HIV (PLWH) have detectable coronary artery calcium (CAC), indicating increased cardiovascular risk. Findings reveal significant regional and population differences in CAC prevalence among PLWH.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- People living with HIV (PLWH) face elevated risks of coronary artery disease due to chronic inflammation and antiretroviral therapies.
- Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is a key non-invasive indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk.
- Prior reviews noted high CAC prevalence in PLWH but lacked detailed data on severity and geographic or demographic variations.
Conclusions:
- Almost half of people living with HIV exhibit detectable coronary artery calcium, underscoring a significant cardiovascular risk.
- Substantial regional and population-level disparities in CAC prevalence necessitate tailored cardiovascular screening strategies for PLWH.
- Further research is warranted to assess the clinical utility of CAC scoring in guiding preventive therapies for this population.
Background:
People living with HIV (PLWH) have a higher risk of coronary artery disease, partly because of chronic inflammation and antiretroviral therapy (ART)-related effects. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is a noninvasive marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) risk. Previous reviews reported high CAC prevalence in PLWH but lacked data on severity and regional or population-specific differences.
Methods:
Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published before April 15, 2025, reporting the pooled percentage of PLWH with detectable CAC (CAC >0), mild CAC (CAC 1-99), moderate CAC (CAC 100-400), and severe CAC (CAC >400). Subgroup analyses explored variation by region, study design, and population characteristics.
Results:
Fifty-three studies were included: 31 contributed to the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of detectable CAC was 43.6% (95% CI: 39.1 to 48.1), with high heterogeneity (I 2 = 91%). Percentage of detectable CAC among PLWH was highest in North America (46.6%) and lowest in Africa (14.1%) and among general adult PLWH (55.8%) and less among those on ART (34.5%). The percentage of PLWH with detectable CAC was higher among cross-sectional studies (44.2%) and prospective cohorts (43.3%) in comparison with clinical trials (35.5%). Regarding severity of CAC among PLWH, 27.6% had mild CAC, 10.8% moderate, and 5.1% severe CAC. No significant publication bias was detected.
Conclusions:
Nearly half of PLWH have detectable CAC, with substantial regional and population-level differences. These findings highlight the need for targeted CV screening strategies in PLWH and support further research into the clinical utility of CAC scoring to guide preventive therapy.
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