title: Vascular age calculation and equivalent risk factors in HIV-infected patients obtained from the D:A:D risk equation.
abstract: Vascular age is a concept that represents the hypothetical age of the cardiovascular system and might be an alternative way of expressing the cardiovascular risk of a patient. The Data Collection on Adverse Effects of Anti-HIV Drugs Study (D:A:D) developed a cardiovascular risk equation from a population of HIV-infected patients, incorporating exposure to individual antiretroviral therapy drugs and traditional classic cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  
  The aim of this study was to determine the vascular age calculated from the D:A:D equation, for HIV infected patients.
  
  
  
  Vascular age was calculated according to its definition by using the D:A:D equation. The Poisson regression model used in the D:A:D equation is an exponential model to calculate the vascular age to match the exponent of the equation with the factors of a patient with the exponent of a subject with controlled risk factors.
  
  
  
  We obtained an equation that allows calculating the vascular age of a patient considering cardiovascular risk factors listed in the same D:A:D equation. From the equation, we have built a table for easy calculation of the vascular age and a table of cardiovascular risk equivalents.
  
  
  
  Vascular age is a new concept derived from Framingham risk tables that can be calculated with other risk scales, such as D:A:D for HIV patients. The calculation of vascular age in HIV patients could be a useful tool for communicating cardiovascular risk and to improve the control of modifiable risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Palencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Cuende
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Hospital del Tajo, Aranjuez, Spain adicerezo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saltijeral
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Leopoldo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez De Isla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D001808:Blood Vessels; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: D:A:D equation; HIV; vascular age