title: Significant coronary stenosis detected by coronary computed angiography in asymptomatic HIV infected subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  increased incidence of acute coronary events, high rate of abnormal surrogate markers of atherosclerosis and increased amount of coronary calcium have been described in HIV infected population. To expand knowledge on coronary artery disease (CAD) in HIV patients, cardiac CT scan was performed in asymptomatic subjects with low cardiovascular (CV) risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study using dual-source CT (MDCT) coronary angiography.was conducted in HIV-infected subjects with the following characteristics: Framingham Risk Score (FRS) ≤10, absence of metabolic syndrome, negative echocardiographic and ECG stress-test. A luminal narrowing exceeding 50% was defined as a clinically significant coronary stenosis. Calcium score was quantified using the Agatston Calcium Score method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five subjects were enrolled. Significant coronary stenoses, requiring coronary angiography, were found in 16/55 (29.1%). At multivariate analysis older age was the only variable independently associated with the presence of significant luminal narrowing (p = 0.011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MDCT showed an unexpected, age-associated high rate of significant coronary stenosis in asymptomatic HIV positive subjects with low CV risk. These findings suggest that aggressive screening programs for coronary artery disease may be appropriate in this population; further studies are recommended to assess the appropriateness of MDCT for this purpose.
authors: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: d'Ettorre
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Francone
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Mancone
authors: Giancarlo
authors: G
authors: Ceccarelli
authors: Adriano
authors: A
authors: Ascarelli
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Vullo
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Baroncelli
authors: M Clementina
authors: MC
authors: Galluzzo
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Catalano
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Strano
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Fedele
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Mastroianni
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Palmisano
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Vullo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods