Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: It is well known that the prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors has increased in HIV-infected people since improvement of antiretroviral therapy. Currently, Spain is defined as a ‘low risk country’ for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by 2016 European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention. The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence and characteristics of CVD risk factors and risk for CVD in a cohort of HIV-infected adults living in the South of Spain according to current guidelines.

Methods/design: Cross-sectional study. Measurements included anthropometry, blood pressure, fasting lipids and glucose assessment. Demographic, clinical, immunological, and antiretroviral therapy data were obtained from electronic medical records. 10-year risk of heart disease or stroke was calculated using the SCORE- European low risk chart.

Results: 218 patients were evaluated. Hypertriglyceridemia was the most prevalent disturbance (44.3%) found, followed by low HDLc levels (41.7%). 8.7% of the cohort had hypertension and 6.9% had type 2 diabetes. 68.5% were current smokers. High risk (10-year risk of fatal CVD >10%) was found in 13.3% of the cohort. People at higher risk were mostly men (100% vs 81%; P=0.005), had higher BMI (25±2.3 vs 23±2.7 kg/m²; P=0.04) and had a lower CD4 count (405.5±156.2/mm³ vs 551.5±211.7/mm³; P=0.035) and were more likely to receive protease inhibitors (48% vs 30%; P=0.04).

Conclusions: According to our results, the prevalence of major risk factors for CVD is high in HIV-infected patients of our area, especially among those with worse immunity and higher BMI. Physicians should screen their patients for metabolic and cardiovascular risk at the regular visits to reduce CVD risk among people with HIV. Changes in antiretroviral therapy to more metabolic neutral antiretroviral drugs may also be considered.