title: Factors related to NT-proBNP levels in HIV patients aged over 40 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the levels of NT-pro BNP in HIV patients over 40 years who are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and investigating potential independent clinical or laboratory factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We determine levels of NT-pro BNP in peripheral blood of HIV patients from Costa del Sol Hospital, over 40 years. We collected epidemiological, classical cardiovascular risk factors and variables associated with HIV infection status. The qualitative variables were compared using the χ2 test. NT-proBNP levels were taken as the dependent variable. The association between these levels and the quantitative variables were studied by analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the association with the qualitative variables, using Student's t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nt-pro BNP levels were determined in 146 HIV patients. We assess the 10-year cardiovascular risk calculated by the Framingham equation, 59 (41.5%) were classified as low risk, 46 (32.4%) as a moderate risk and 37 (26.1%) as a high risk. The higher levels of NT-pro BNP were found in women, and in those patient with lower filtration rate and high levels of triglycerides. An association was also observed between higher levels of NT-proBNP and the recent use of lamivudine and fosamprenavir. After a multivariate analysis we found an association between higher levels of NT-proBNP and the current use of fosamprenavir and a lower glomerular filtration rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found, with the limitations of a small serie, that higher levels of NTproBNP in HIV patients could be linked to the occurrence of cardiovascular events, this fact suggest that NTpro BNP could be used in patients at moderate or high vascular risk in order to optimise the primary prevention of vascular events.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Unit, Costa del Sol Hospital., 29603 Marbella, Spain.
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olalla
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Unit, Costa del Sol Hospital., 29603 Marbella, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Unit, Costa del Sol Hospital., 29603 Marbella, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De la Torre
authors.affiliation: Clinical Analysis Laboratory, Costa del Sol Hospital, Marbella, Spain.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sempere
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Unit, Costa del Sol Hospital., 29603 Marbella, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Arco
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Unit, Costa del Sol Hospital., 29603 Marbella, Spain.
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Prada
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Unit, Costa del Sol Hospital., 29603 Marbella, Spain.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malvarez
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Unit, Costa del Sol Hospital., 29603 Marbella, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Unit, Costa del Sol Hospital., 29603 Marbella, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Alegría
keywords: Aids; Cardiovascular risk; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; Hiv; Nt- probnp