Importance: Whether people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared with uninfected people is not clear. Without demographically and behaviorally similar uninfected comparators and without uniformly measured clinical data on risk factors and fatal and nonfatal AMI events, any potential association between HIV status and AMI may be confounded.Objective: To investigate whether HIV is associated with an increased risk of AMI after adjustment for all standard Framingham risk factors among a large cohort of HIV-positive and demographically and behaviorally similar (ie, similar prevalence of smoking, alcohol, and cocaine use) uninfected veterans in care.

Background-The Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) is a study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected and uninfected patients seen in infectious disease and general medical clinics. VACS includes the earlier 3 and 5 site studies (VACS 3 and VACS 5) as well as the ongoing 8 site study.

Background The influence of HIV infection on the risk of diabetes is unclear. We determined the association and predictors of prevalent DM in HIV infected and uninfected veterans. Methods We determined baseline prevalence and risk factors for diabetes among HIV infected and uninfected veterans in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of diabetes in HIV infected and uninfected persons. Results We studied 3,327 HIV-infected and 3,240 HIV-uninfected subjects. HIV infected subjects were younger, more likely to be black race, male, have HCV coinfection and a lower body mass index (BMI). HIV infected subjects had a lower prevalence of diabetes at baseline (14.9% vs. 21.4%, P<0.0001). After adjustment for known risk factors, HIV infected individuals had a lower risk of diabetes (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72-0.97). Increasing age, male gender, minority race, and BMI were associated with an increased risk. The odds ratio for diabetes associated with increasing age, minority race and BMI were greater among HIV infected veterans. HCV coinfection and nucleoside and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy were associated with a higher risk of diabetes in HIV infected veterans. Conclusion While HIV infection itself is not associated with increased risk of diabetes, increasing age, HCV coinfection and BMI have a more profound effect upon the risk of diabetes among HIV infected persons. Further, long term ARV treatment also increases risk. Future studies will need to determine whether incidence of DM differs by HIV status.

Background The association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and coronary artery disease (CAD) is controversial. We conducted this study to determine and quantify this association. Methods We used an established, national, observational cohort of all HCV-infected veterans receiving care at all Veterans Affairs facilities, the Electronically Retrieved Cohort of HCV Infected Veterans, to identify HCV-infected subjects and HCV-uninfected control subjects. We used the Cox proportional-hazards model to determine the risk of CAD among HCV-infected subjects and control subjects. Results We identified 82,083 HCV-infected and 89,582 HCV-uninfected subjects. HCV-infected subjects were less likely to have hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes but were more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs and to have renal failure and anemia. HCV-infected subjects had lower mean (± standard deviation) total plasma cholesterol (175 ± 40.8 mg/dL vs. 198 ± 41.0 mg/dL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (102 ± 36.8 mg/dL vs. 119 ± 38.2 mg/dL), and triglyceride (144 ± 119 mg/dL vs. 179 ± 151 mg/dL) levels, compared with HCV-uninfected subjects. In multivariable analysis, HCV infection was associated with a higher risk of CAD (hazard ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.20–1.30; P < .001 for all comparisons). Traditional risk factors (age, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia) were associated with a higher risk of CAD in both groups, whereas minority race and female sex were associated with a lower risk of CAD. Conclusions HCV-infected persons are younger and have lower lipid levels and a lower prevalence of hypertension. Despite a favorable risk profile, HCV infection is associated with a higher risk of CAD after adjustment for traditional risk factors.

IMPORTANCE With improved survival, heart failure (HF) has become a major complication for individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It is unclear if this risk extends to different types of HF in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. Determining whether HIV infection is associated with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), or both is critical because HF types differ with respect to underlying mechanism, treatment, and prognosis. OBJECTIVES To investigate whether HIV infection increases the risk of future HFrEF and HFpEF and to assess if this risk varies by sociodemographic and HIV-specific factors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This study evaluated 98 015 participants without baseline cardiovascular disease from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study, an observational cohort of HIV-infected veterans and uninfected veterans matched by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and clinical site, enrolled on or after April 1, 2003, and followed up through September 30, 2012. The dates of the analysis were October 2015 to November 2016. EXPOSURE Human immunodeficiency virus infection. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Outcomes included HFpEF (EF≥50%), borderline HFpEF (EF 40%–49%), HFrEF (EF<40%), and HF of unknown type (EF missing). RESULTS Among 98 015 participants, the mean (SD) age at enrollment in the study was 48.3 (9.8) years, 97.0% were male, and 32.2% had HIV infection. During a median follow-up of 7.1 years, there were 2636 total HF events (34.6% were HFpEF, 15.5% were borderline HFpEF, 37.1% were HFrEF, and 12.8% were HF of unknown type). Compared with uninfected veterans, HIV-infected veterans had an increased risk of HFpEF (hazard ratio [HR], 1.21; 95% CI, 1.03–1.41), borderline HFpEF (HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.09–1.72), and HFrEF (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.40–1.86). The risk of HFrEF was pronounced in veterans younger than 40 years at baseline (HR, 3.59; 95% CI, 1.95–6.58). Among HIV-infected veterans, time-updated HIV-1 RNA viral load of at least 500 copies/mL compared with less than 500 copies/mL was associated with an increased risk of HFrEF, and time-updated CD4 cell count less than 200 cells/mm3 compared with at least 500 cells/mm3 was associated with an increased risk of HFrEF and HFpEF. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Individuals who are infected with HIV have an increased risk of HFpEF, borderline HFpEF, and HFrEF compared with uninfected individuals. The increased risk of HFrEF can manifest decades earlier than would be expected in a typical uninfected population. Future research should focus on prevention, risk stratification, and identification of the mechanisms for HFrEF and HFpEF in the HIV-infected population.