Abstract P381: Vascular Inflammation as a Subclinical Marker of Atherosclerosis Demonstrates High Cardiometabolic Risk in a Resource-limited, Community-based Population

Abstract

Background: Vascular inflammation (VI) is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) events among populations with inflammatory disease. Less is known about VI among populations in communities characterized by lower neighborhood-level socioeconomic status and limited resources for physical activity and dietary intake, particularly those identified as having CV risk factors through community-based (CB) efforts. Specifically, no comparisons exist of VI between CB cohorts and populations with known inflammatory disease associated with CV risk, such as psoriasis (PSO). Hypothesis: We hypothesized that VI by 18-FDG PET/CT would be similar in a resource limited CB cohort compared to a matched mild/moderate PSO cohort. Methods: In the Washington, DC CV Health and Needs Assessment, we evaluated CV risk factors among participants of a day-long, CB event in resource-limited Washington, DC areas (NCT01927783). Those having at least one CV risk factor (obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes) underwent 18-FDG PET/CT to measure VI for cardiometabolic phenotyping. Cardiometabolic markers were compared between the CB cohort and PSO cohort; VI between the cohorts was also compared using linear regression modeling. Results: The CB cohort was African-American, middle-aged, and predominantly female, and the PSO cohort was half female and mostly Caucasian. Both cohorts were obese and pre-hypertensive with elevated lipid levels. There was no significant difference in VI between the CB cohort and the PSO cohort in both unadjusted (beta 0.25, p 0.15) and adjusted models including age, BMI, and race (beta 0.21, p 0.14). Conclusion: Populations with CV risk factors in resource-limited communities have comparable VI to those with known inflammatory PSO. These findings highlight a need for 1) CB efforts to identify individuals at high CV risk who might not otherwise be seen in a clinical setting and 2) targeted CB interventions to reduce CV risk for these populations. However, larger studies are needed to confirm our findings.