Synopsis
A recent study from US researchers indicates that existing cardiovascular risk models significantly underestimate events for HIV patients, particularly women and black men in high-income countries, highlighting the need for improved, tailored prediction models.Key Takeaways
- Current risk models fail to accurately predict cardiovascular events for HIV patients.
- Women and black men in high-income countries are particularly affected.
- There's a significant gap in understanding cardiovascular risks in LMICs.
- The study utilized data from REPRIEVE involving multiple countries.
- Nuanced models are essential for accurately reflecting cardiovascular risk for PWH.
New York, Jan 19 (NationPress) A research team from the US has discovered that existing risk models significantly underestimate cardiovascular events for individuals living with HIV, particularly among women and black men in high-income nations.
Cardiovascular disease stands as the primary cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, presenting a considerable risk to individuals with HIV (PWH), as highlighted in a recent study published in The Lancet HIV.
Earlier research has raised doubts regarding the effectiveness of these widely used prediction models for those with HIV, especially concerning their applicability in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
A research team from Massachusetts General Hospital, part of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, in partnership with an international group of investigators, performed a study to assess the accuracy of existing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk estimations in predicting cardiovascular outcomes for global HIV populations.
Their prospective cohort study utilized data from the Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE), examining individuals with HIV from low, middle, and high-income countries across multiple continents.
Findings from REPRIEVE indicated that current risk models significantly underestimated cardiovascular events for both women and black men in high-income countries (HICs), while simultaneously overestimating cardiovascular events for all individuals with HIV in LMICs.
“These results enable researchers to refine cardiovascular disease prediction models for individuals living with HIV,” stated Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, a medical officer at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
“The ability to assess the precision of these predictions within specific population subgroups is made possible by careful outreach efforts and the recruitment of a diverse study population – encompassing all individuals at risk,” Desvigne-Nickens added.
Steven Grinspoon, chief of the Massachusetts General Hospital Metabolism Unit in the Department of Medicine’s Endocrinology Division, emphasized that this study highlights the necessity for detailed, region-specific, and population-specific CVD prediction models that accurately represent cardiovascular risk for individuals with HIV, particularly those residing in LMICs.
