In a large population of veterans, positive HIV status was independently associated with increased risk.

Whether infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increases risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is unclear. To investigate this question, researchers studied the frequency of AMI in some 82,000 participants (97% men) in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Virtual Cohort, which includes HIV-positive individuals and uninfected individuals matched at enrollment for demographic and behavioral characteristics.

During a median follow-up of 5.9 years, AMI rates per 1000 person-years were significantly higher in HIV-positive than in uninfected veterans. Median age at event and time to event were similar in both groups. The overall relative increase in risk was about 50% and remained significant after adjustment for Framingham risk factors, comorbidities, and substance use. AMI risk was highest among those with HIV RNA levels of at least 500 copies/mL or CD4 cell counts less than 200 cells/mL.

CITATION(S):

Freiberg MS et al. HIV infection and the risk of acute myocardial infarction. JAMA Intern Med 2013 March 4.

Mallon PWG. Getting to the heart of HIV and myocardial infarction. JAMA Intern Med 2013 March 4.