Cardiometabolic Characterization Of People Living With HIV Seeking Treatment In The South Texas Region

Abstract

PURPOSE: To characterize the cardiometabolic profile of people living with HIV (PLWH). We hypothesized that a majority of PLWH would have 3 or more cardiometabolic risk markers. METHODS: A large dataset from electronic medical records (EMR) of PLWH seeking care at several public health care institutions was used for this investigation. 200 PLWH from the South Texas Region were included. We identified cardiometabolic risk markers from the EMR system to characterize the cardiometabolic profile of PLWH in this region. The cardiometabolic variables considered were: cholesterol (≥ 200 mg/dL), triglycerides (TG) (≥ 150 mg/dL), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) (≥ 6.5%), body mass index (BMI) (≥ 30 kg/m2), and blood pressure (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg / DBP ≥ 90 mmHg). Demographic variables retrieved from the EMR were: height (in), weight (lbs), age (yrs), gender (M/F), race, viral load (copies/mL), and CD4+ T-cell percentage (%CD4). We identified the first encounter as representation of the initiation of care. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, means, standard deviations (SD) or ranges were calculated for all variables. RESULTS: The sample was comprised of 35% Hispanics and 65% Non-Hispanics, primarily Caucasians (75%) and Black (19%). Approximately 77% classified themselves as men. Age, weight, and height were 49.88 ± 12.2 yrs; 179.1 ± 44.3 lbs; 67.4 ± 3.8 in, respectively. %CD4 and viral load were 20.8 ± 10.5 % and 27,102 ± 102,813 copies/mL, respectively. On average, the values of the cardiometabolic risk markers were borderline high: HbA1C=6.17 ± 1.84% (range: 4-13); TG=190 ± 156.1 mg/dL (range: 37-1,099); cholesterol=177 ± 42.7 mg/dL (range: 80-362); SBP= 129.9 ± 17.2 mmHg (range: 92-187); DBP=78.2 ± 11.8 mmHg (range: 52-117); BMI=29.5 ± 7.4 kg/m2 (range: 21-53). However, after evaluating the range of values of the sample, close to 50% of PLWH had elevated values in at least 3 of the cardiometabolic risk markers. CONCLUSIONS: PLWH in the South Texas region exhibit an elevated cardiometabolic risk profile. Due to the greater morbidity and mortality in PLWH with cardiometabolic disease, early intervention is imperative. Exercise professionals should be included as part of the healthcare team at the initiation of care to improve the cardiometabolic profile of PLWH.