title: Risk factors and assessment for cardiovascular disease among HIV-positive patients attending a Nigerian tertiary hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular risk factors are prevalent in HIV-positive patients which places them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to determine the risk factors and risk assessment for CVD in HIV-positive patients with and without antiretroviral therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study of HIV-positive patients attending the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were performed; fasting lipid profile, plasma glucose, homocysteine and hsCRP were determined, as well as prevalences and risk assessments. Statistical tests were used to compare the groups and p-value <0.05 was considered to be significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  283 subjects were recruited for this study (100 HIV-positive treatment-naive, 100 HIV-positive treated and 83 HIV negative controls). Compared to the controls, mean (sd) values were significantly higher among HIV-treated subjects: waist circumference = 88.7 (10.4), p = 0.035; systolic bp= 124.9 (20.7), p = 0.014; glucose= 5.54 (1.7), p = 0.015; triglyceride= 2.0 (1.2), p < 0.001; homocysteine= 10.9 (8.9-16.2), p = 0.0003; while hsCRP= 2.9 (1.4-11.6), p = 0.002 and HDL-C = 0.9 (0.4), p = < 0.0001 were higher among the HIV-naïve subjects. Likewise, higher prevalences of the risk factors were noted among the HIV-treated subjects except low HDL-C (p < 0.001) and hsCRP (p = 0.03) which were higher in the HIV-naïve group. Risk assessment using ratios showed high risk for CVD especially in the HIV-naïve group. The median range for Framingham risk assessment was 1.0 - 7.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Risk factors and risk assessment for CVD are increased in HIV-positive patients with and without antiretroviral therapy. Routine evaluation and risk assessment for CVD irrespective of therapy status is necessary to prevent future cardiovascular events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-araba, Lagos state, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ifeyinwa Dorothy
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Osegbe
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-araba, Lagos state, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Oyetunji Olukayode
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Soriyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-araba, Lagos state, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Abiola Ann
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ogbenna
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Cross-Rivers state, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Henry Chima
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Okpara
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-araba, Lagos state, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Elaine Chinyere
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Azinge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: Atherosclerosis; HIV; cardiovascular disease; risk assessment