Cardiovascular risk and HIV infection in patients aged 50 years and older at the Ahala District Medical Center

Abstract

Older people living with HIV (P50+) are living longer and longer and are therefore prone to age-related comorbidities. The objective of this study was to investigate the cardiovascular risk of P50+ followed in an HIV care unit in Cameroon. The proportion of P50+ was 13.9% and 80 were included in the study. The following prevalences of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) were found: sedentary lifestyle (77.5%), chronic smoking (5%). Fifteen percent reported having hypertension and 25% of the P50+ had high blood pressure during physical examination. Similarly, 2.5% of the patients reported diabetes and 7.5% of the P50+ had high blood sugar levels. The examinations performed revealed 2.5% of LDL dyslipidemia, 23.1% of glomerular filtration rate abnormalities, 5.7% of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and 22.9% of electrocardiographic signs of myocardial ischemia. The study of the interdependence between CVRF and the characteristics of the population revealed a relationship of dependence between physical activity and age (p=0.002), diabetes and age (p=0.004), diabetes and duration of HIV (p=0.007), LVH and duration of HIV (p=0.001). Cardiovascular risk is high in P50+ which could make them vulnerable to cardiovascular events. It is therefore necessary or even essential that cardiovascular risk assessment be integrated into the continuum of care of PLWH in general and P50+ particularly in HIV care units.