Estimation of Risk and Proportion of Coronary Artery Disease in People Living with HIV/AIDS in Indian Setting: A Pilot Study

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the Framingham Risk Score as well as the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) male patients, in an Indian setting. Design: This descriptive pilot study was conducted in a multispecialty hospital which is a reference center for HIV/AIDS. Materials and Methods: The study included 50 HIV-positive male patients who underwent basic biochemical analysis, namely lipid profile, blood sugar (fasting), electrocardiogram, CD4 count along with basic personal history (including smoking habits and lifestyle), course of disease progression, and drug history. All were subjected to a two-dimensional echocardiogram and treadmill test (TMT). Subjects with a positive TMT underwent a confirmatory stress thallium/coronary angiography. Framingham Risk Scores were calculated, using standard scoring charts. Standard protocol forms were made for each patient. Results: The median diagnosed duration of HIV disease was 2.8 years (range: 0.5–7 years). The median 10-year risk of CAD (as calculated from the Framingham scores) was 1%. Major contributing risk factors were dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension and were found to be greater as compared to published literature. Four patients had positive TMT, but all four had a negative, coronary angiogram. Conclusions: Biological plausibility suggests that CAD may be more common in PLHA due to the chronic inflammatory nature of the disease and the effects of the dyslipidemia effect of ART; however, our pilot study with the limitations could not substantiate this.