Cardiovascular disease risk in people of African ancestry with HIV in the United Kingdom

Abstract

ObjectivesOur objective was to describe the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in people of African ancestry with HIV in the UK.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional analysis of CVD risk factors in Black people with HIV aged ≥40 years and estimated the 10‐year CVD risk using QRISK®3‐2018. Correlations between body mass index (BMI) and CVD risk factors were described using Pearson correlation coefficients, and factors associated with 10‐year CVD risk ≥5% were described using logistic regression.ResultsWe included 833 Black people with HIV and a median age of 54 years; 54% were female, 50% were living with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2), 61% had hypertension, and 19% had diabetes mellitus. CVD risk >5% ranged from 2% in female participants aged 40–49 years to 99% in men aged ≥60 years, and use of statins ranged from 7% in those with CVD risk <2.5% to 64% in those with CVD risk ≥20%. BMI was correlated (R2 0.1–0.2) with triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure in women and with glycated haemoglobin, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and total:high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio in men. In both female and male participants, older age, blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and kidney disease were strongly associated with CVD risk ≥5%, whereas obesity, total:HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and smoking status were variably associated with CVD risk ≥5%.ConclusionsWe report a high burden of CVD risk factors, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, in people of African ancestry with HIV in the UK. BMI‐focused interventions in these populations may improve CVD risk while also addressing other important health issues.