Abstract
Objective To investigate relationships between Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), an assessment of cardiovascular health (CVH), and coronary plaque among people with HIV (PWH).
Methods Coronary computed tomography angiography, immune/inflammatory biomarkers, and characterization of LS7 were collected among a subset of ART-treated PWH enrolled in REPRIEVE, a primary prevention trial. Analyses adjusted for cardiovascular disease risk (ASCVD score).
Results Median age of the 735 participants was 51(+/-6) years, 16% female, and median (Q1 – Q3) CVD risk was 4.5% (2.6-6.9). Forty percent had poor (≤2 ideal components), 51% had intermediate (3 or 4 ideal components), and only 9% had ideal CVH (≥5). Coronary plaque was present in 357 (49%); 167 (23%) had ≥1 vulnerable plaque features, 293 (40%) had non-calcified plaque, and 242 (35%) had a coronary artery calcium score >0. All three phenotypes were increasingly more prevalent with poorer CVH and these relationships remained after adjusting for ASCVD risk. Poor CVH was associated with higher hs-CRP, oxidized LDL, and IL-6. The relationship of LS7 to plaque remained after adjusting for these biomarkers.
Conclusions Among PWH, poor CVH as measured by LS7 was associated with coronary plaque presence, vulnerable features, and calcification. LS7 was also associated with selected biomarkers; adjustment for these and ASCVD score reduced but did not eliminate LS7’s association with plaque, suggesting the possibility of additional protective mechanisms against atherogenesis and plaque remodeling. Clinical use of LS7 and further exploration of its relationships with coronary artery disease may enhance efforts to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in PWH.