The association between hepatitis C infection and prevalent cardiovascular disease among HIV-infected individuals.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between hepatitis C and prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) among HIV-infected individuals.


METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis of data from the HIV-Longitudinal Interrelationships of Viruses and Ethanol (HIV-LIVE) cohort, a prospective cohort of HIV-infected individuals with current or past alcohol problems.


METHODS
We analysed health questionnaire and laboratory data from 395 HIV-infected individuals (50.1% co-infected with hepatitis C) using logistic regression to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for the prevalence of CVD among those co-infected with hepatitis C and HIV compared with those infected with HIV alone.


RESULTS
The prevalence of CVD was higher among those co-infected with hepatitis C compared with those with HIV alone (11.1 versus 2.5%, respectively). After adjusting for age, the OR for the prevalence of CVD was significantly higher among those with hepatitis C co-infection (adjusted OR 4.65, 95% confidence interval 1.70-12.71). The relationship between hepatitis C and CVD persisted when adjusting for age and other sociodemographic characteristics, substance use, and cardiovascular risk factors in separate regression models.


CONCLUSIONS
Co-infection with hepatitis C among a cohort of HIV-infected individuals was associated with a higher age-adjusted odds for the prevalence of CVD. These data suggest that hepatitis C infection may be associated with an increased risk of CVD among those co-infected with HIV.
Freiberg
Matthew S
MS
Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. freibergms@upmc.edu
Cheng
Debbie M
DM
Kraemer
Kevin L
KL
Saitz
Richard
R
Kuller
Lewis H
LH
Samet
Jeffrey H
JH
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications