Formation of plaques is more frequent in coronary arteries of HIV positive men than HIV negative men, according to a new study by National Institutes of Health grantees. The research describes that HIV-infected men are at higher risk for a heart attack than their HIV-uninfected which is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
“These findings from the largest study of its kind tell us that men with HIV infection are at increased risk for the development of coronary artery disease and should discuss with a care provider the potential need for cardiovascular risk factor screening and appropriate risk reduction strategies,” said Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH.
“Thanks to effective treatments, many people with HIV infection are living into their 50s and well beyond and are dying of non-AIDS-related causes frequently, heart disease,” said Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), also part of NIH. “Consequently, the prevention and treatment of non-infectious chronic diseases in people with HIV infection has become an increasingly important focus of our research.”
Researchers recognised coronary atherosclerosis due to soft plaque in 63 percent of the HIV-positive men and 53 percent of the HIV-negative men. After adjusting for cardiovascular disease risk factors, including high BP, diabetes, high cholesterol, high BMI (body mass index) and smoking, the presence of soft plaque and the cumulative size of individual soft plaques were significantly greater in men with HIV infection.
In HIV positive men, the scientists discovered two predictors of advanced atherosclerosis in this population. The first predictor deals with white blood cells called CD4+ T cells, which are the primary target of HIV and whose level, or count, is a measure of immune health. The researchers found that for every 100 cells per cubic millimeter decrease in a man’s lowest CD4+ T cell count, his risk of coronary artery blockage rose by 20 percent. The researchers also found that for every year a man had taken anti-HIV drugs, his risk of coronary artery blockage rose by 9 percent.
Bibliography: WS Post et al. Associations between HIV infection and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis, Annals of Internal Medicine DOI: 10.7326/M14-1754 (2014).
