title: Menthol cigarettes and the cardiovascular risks of people living with HIV.
abstract: The possibility that menthol cigarettes add to the deleterious cardiovascular effects of smoking has been barely discussed. Although cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are at the forefront of medical concerns of people living with HIV (PLWH), an important, yet unknown, issue for clinicians and public health authorities is whether use of menthol-flavored cigarettes heightens CVD risk factors. Our study aims to assess traditional (10-year risk using the Framingham Risk Model) and nontraditional CVD risk factors and to contrast the effects of menthol-flavored versus non-menthol-flavored cigarettes on these risk factors. Compared to controls, menthol smokers were twice as likely to have hypertension. Users of menthol-flavored cigarettes had higher body mass index values, and increased risk of abdominal obesity. Multivariate analyses indicated that menthol smokers doubled the odds of having moderate to high CVD risk. This finding is highly significant given the widespread use of menthol-flavored cigarettes, particularly among women, minorities, and PLWH.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Míguez-Burbano
authors.forename: Mayra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Clery
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quiros
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Espinoza
authors.forename: Asthana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deshratan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008610:Menthol; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D008610:Menthol
keywords: HIV; blood pressure; cardiovascular risks; mentholated cigarettes; obesity