Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk Profile and Risk Scores of Antiretroviral Therapy-naïve HIV Patients in Eastern India.

INTRODUCTION

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) are known to have an increased prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study was done to assess the CVD risk factors in treatment naïve PLHIV in a center of the national program.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional explorative study, traditional CVD risk factors were assessed, and 10-year Framingham and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score were calculated in treatment naïve PLHIV attending the antiretroviral therapy (ART) center, IMS, BHU.

RESULTS

The study included 337 ART naïve patients. The prevalence of CVD risk factors in treatment naïve PLHIV - were low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (81.4%), high triglyceride levels (32.7%), smoking (32.3%), obesity (13.6%), hypertension (5%), diabetes (2.7%), and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (2.1%). Moderate-to-high 10-year Framingham Risk Score and American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology 10-year ASCVD risk score were 10.8% and 8.9%, respectively. In Framingham Risk Score, age ≥40 years (odds ratio [OR] - 131) (95% confidence interval [CI] - 6.5-1043) alcohol intake (OR - 5.14 [95% CI - 1.82-14.46] and presence of tuberculosis (OR - 4.78) (95% CI - 1.48-15.40), while in ASCVD risk score history of alcohol intake (OR - 26.20 [95% CI - 3.1-216.8] were at higher risk of CVD in multivariate variate analysis.

CONCLUSION

CVD risk factors were common among ART naïve patient. Thus, screening, education, and treatment of CVD risk factors should be done in these patients at initiation of care.