Associations between low HDL, sex and cardiovascular risk markers are substantially different in sub-Saharan Africa and the UK: analysis of four population studies

Cardiometabolic Risk Profiles of Adolescents Living With Perinatally Acquired HIV in South Africa

BACKGROUND

We assessed the Pathological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) score and other potential cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents previously enrolled in the Children with HIV Early antiRetroviral (CHER) and International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Network P1060 clinical trials.

METHODS

Coronary artery and abdominal aorta (AA) PDAY scores were calculated for 56 participants over 15 years of age using a weighted combination of dyslipidemia, cigarette smoking, hypertension, obesity, and hyperglycemia. A PDAY score ≥1 is associated with early atherosclerosis.

RESULTS

Fifty-six participants were enrolled: 46 (82.1%) on a single-tablet regimen of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine and dolutegravir. Median time on antiretroviral therapy was 15.8 [interquartile range (IQR): 15.8-16.5] years and median time on dolutegravir was 14 (IQR: 10.0-19.0) months. Fasting median high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 20.1 mg/dL (IQR: 16.0-23.7) and median non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 38.3 mg/dL (IQR: 30.8-44.3). The median systolic blood pressure was 115 mm Hg (IQR: 107-121). Median body mass index was 21.3 kg/m 2 (IQR: 19.5-24.7) and median fasted serum glucose was 82.0 mg/dL (IQR: 75.7-87.3). Only 1 (2%) participant smoked cigarettes, but 5 (9%) smoked hookah pipe and 26 (46.4%) smoked cannabis. Thirty-one (55.4%) participants had coronary artery PDAY scores ≥1 and 33 (58.9%) had AA PDAY scores ≥1. Age was associated with an AA PDAY score ≥1 ( P = 0.02) with a 0.06 increase in AA PDAY score for every month of age (95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.12, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV appear at risk for cardiovascular disease. Specific tools for monitoring this risk are needed to institute appropriate preventive interventions.

Changes in Haematological Parameters and Lipid Profiles in Diabetes Mellitus: A Literature Review

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood glucose that has sequelae on cellular, haematological, and metabolic parameters, including lipid profile disturbed homeostasis, which manifest in alterations in haematological parameters and lipid profiles. These changes in haematological parameters and lipid profiles have been reported by previous research; however, the pattern of these changes and their correlation have not been elucidated. This review aims to assess these changes and investigate the degree of correlation between haematological parameters and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The method adopted was a traditional review approach that included a narrative of concepts and a critical assessment of a few selected articles. Findings highlight that haematological parameters and lipid profiles show varied alterations and correlations in T2DM. For instance, statistical significances at p < 0.05 are reported for WBC count (r = -0.75) showing negative correlations (p < 0.001), where RBC count (r = 0.56) showed correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), whereas anaemia (packed cell volume: r = -0.51) and RBC indices (mean corpuscular volume: r = -0.75; mean corpuscular haemoglobin: r = -089) show negative correlations with total cholesterol (TC). The specific haematological parameters, namely, RBC and WBC with differential and platelet counts, as well as indices, showed varied changes and correlation with lipid profiles, namely, HDLC, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, TC, and triglyceride, in the six reviewed articles. Diabetes is characterized by changes in haematological parameters and lipid profiles. A better understanding of the negative and positive correlating changes could be utilized in routine evaluation of subjects with prediabetes as well as managing complications in diabetes. Correlation between haematological parameters and lipid profiles over the course of diabetes progression using HbA1c as an index of glucose control is necessary for additional empirical data and updates.

Sex differences in the association of the uric acid to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio with coronary artery disease risk among Chinese nondialysis patients with CKD stages 3-5

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Evidence has indicated that serum uric acid (UA) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are positively and negatively associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). The UA to HDL-C ratio (UHR) has recently drawn attention as a new predictor for metabolic syndrome, inflammation and atherosclerosis. However, the association between the UHR and CAD in nondialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is still unclear.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We retrospectively analysed 733 nondialysis patients with CKD stage 3-5 who received their first coronary artery angiography (CAG), including 510 participants with CAD. All laboratory indicators were collected within one week before CAG. The median UHR of CAD and non-CAD patients was 15.52% and 12.29%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, female patients with a high UHR were 4.7 times more at risk of CAD than those with a lower UHR. Meanwhile, the positive association of the UHR with the severity of coronary artery stenosis (CAS) persisted significantly in female CAD subjects but not in males. In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for CAD and severe CAS. The area under the curve (AUC) for the UHR was higher than that for UA and HDL-C alone in female patients [UHR (AUC): 0.715 for CAD and 0.716 for severe CAS].

CONCLUSIONS

An elevated UHR was independently related to an increased CAD risk and the severity of CAS in nondialysis female patients with CKD stage 3-5, and was more predictive of the onset of CAD and the severity of CAS than UA or HDL-C alone.

Post-malnutrition growth and its associations with child survival and non-communicable disease risk: a secondary analysis of the Malawi 'ChroSAM' cohort

OBJECTIVE

To explore patterns of post-malnutrition growth (PMGr) during and after treatment for severe malnutrition and describe associations with survival and non-communicable disease (NCD) risk 7 years post-treatment.

DESIGN

Six indicators of PMGr were derived based on a variety of timepoints, weight, weight-for-age z-score and height-for-age z-score (HAZ). Three categorisation methods included no categorisation, quintiles and latent class analysis (LCA). Associations with mortality risk and seven NCD indicators were analysed.

SETTING

Secondary data from Blantyre, Malawi between 2006 and 2014.

PARTICIPANTS

A cohort of 1024 children treated for severe malnutrition (weight-for-length z-score < 70 % median and/or MUAC (mid-upper arm circumference) < 110 mm and/or bilateral oedema) at ages 5-168 months.

RESULTS

Faster weight gain during treatment (g/d) and after treatment (g/kg/day) was associated with lower risk of death (adjusted OR 0·99, 95 % CI 0·99, 1·00; and adjusted OR 0·91, 95 % CI 0·87, 0·94, respectively). In survivors (mean age 9 years), it was associated with greater hand grip strength (0·02, 95 % CI 0·00, 0·03) and larger HAZ (6·62, 95 % CI 1·31, 11·9), both indicators of better health. However, faster weight gain was also associated with increased waist:hip ratio (0·02, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·03), an indicator of later-life NCD risk. The clearest patterns of association were seen when defining PMGr based on weight gain in g/d during treatment and using the LCA method to describe growth patterns. Weight deficit at admission was a major confounder.

CONCLUSIONS

A complex pattern of benefits and risks is associated with faster PMGr. Both initial weight deficit and rate of weight gain have important implications for future health.

Sex-specific associations between cardiovascular risk factors and physical function: the Gambian Bone and Muscle Ageing Study

BACKGROUND

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and impaired physical function are increasing due to rapid urbanization. We investigated sex differences in associations between cardiac workload, arterial stiffness, peripheral vascular calcification (PVC) and physical function in Gambian adults.

METHODS

A total of 488 Gambians aged 40-75+ years were recruited (men: 239; and women: 249). Supine blood pressure and heart rate were measured to calculate rate pressure product and pulse pressure. Presence of PVC was determined from tibia peripheral quantitative computed tomography scans. Physical function was assessed by chair rise test (CRT), single two-legged jump (s2LJ) and hand grip strength (HGS). Body composition was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; body size corrections were used to calculate fat mass index (FMI) and appendicular lean mass index (ALMI). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was measured from fasting blood samples. The relationship between rate pressure product, pulse pressure or presence of PVC (independent variable) with physical function parameters (dependent variable) was tested using linear regression. Sex-interactions were tested (p-int) adjusting for age, eGFR and ALMI/FMI. Results were expressed as mean differences between men and women with 95% confidence intervals. Mediation analyses used ALMI/FMI as mediator.

RESULTS

Women weighed less (54.7 kg ± 10.3 vs. 59.9 kg ± 10.3) and were shorter (157.8 cm ± 6.0 vs. 169.2 cm ± 7.0) compared with men (both P < 0.0001). Women had higher FMI (6.8 kg/m2  ± 2.9 vs. 2.9 kg/m2  ± 2.0, P < 0.0001) and eGFR (263.7 mL/min/1.73 m2  ± 133.1 vs. 237.6 mL/min/1.73 m2  ± 134.6), but lower ALMI (6.2 kg/m2  ± 0.7 vs. 8.02 kg/m2  ± 1.0, P < 0.0001) compared with men. There were significant mean differences between men and women in rate pressure product and s2LJ power (-1.08 [-1.21, -0.95]) and force (-0.57 [-0.63, -0.51]), only after adjusting for age, eGFR and FMI. There were significant mean differences in the associations between pulse pressure and CRT power (-0.28 [-0.31, -0.25]), s2LJ power (-1.07 [-1.20, -0.93]) and HGS (-11.94 [-13.35, -10.54]); these differences were greater after adjusting for age, eGFR and FMI, than ALMI. There were similar differences in the associations between PVC and physical function parameters. In men, FMI mediated the association between rate pressuree product and CRT power (P = 0.002), s2LJ force (P < 0.001) and s2LJ power (P = 0.001). ALMI did not mediate associations for either men or women.

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple risk factors for CVD were associated with poorer physical function in men and were mediated by FMI. There is a need to identify strategies to slow/prevent the rising CVD burden and poor physical function in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Liver steatosis and fibrosis in people with human immunodeficiency virus in West Africa and the relationship with hepatitis B virus coinfection

There is a heavy burden of liver disease in West Africa. While the role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is well recognized, less is known about the contributing role of liver steatosis and how the two interact in the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Adults with HIV in Ghana underwent FibroScan measurements to determine prevalence of liver steatosis (expressed as controlled attenuation parameter [CAP]) and fibrosis (expressed as liver stiffness [LS]). We explored contributing factors in linear regression models, including demographics, lifestyle characteristics, medical history, HIV and HBV status, and measurements of metabolic syndrome. Among 329 adults (72.3% women; median age, 47 years), 322 (97.9%) were on antiretroviral therapy (median duration, 8.9 years). CD4 counts were preserved (median, 619 cells/mm3 ); plasma HIV RNA was fully suppressed in 162 (50.3%) of the treated participants. Cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and use of traditional or herbal remedies were uncommon (6.1%, 1.8%, 3.3%, respectively). Largely undiagnosed metabolic syndrome was detected in 87 (26.4%) participants. We obtained readings indicative of ≥S2 steatosis and ≥F2 fibrosis in 43 (13.1%) and 55 (16.7%) participants, respectively. Higher CAP values were associated with metabolic syndrome and longer prior stavudine exposure. Higher LS values were associated with male sex, higher HIV RNA, and higher CAP values. Relative to people without HBV, those with HBV (n = 90) had a similar prevalence of ≥S2 steatosis but a higher prevalence of ≥F2 fibrosis (36.7% vs. 9.2%, p < 0.0001) and concomitant ≥S2 steatosis and ≥F2 fibrosis (9.1% vs. 1.3%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Both HBV and liver steatosis pose a threat to long-term liver health among people with HIV in West Africa. Urgently required interventions include improving HIV suppression and diagnosing and managing determinants of the metabolic syndrome.

Waist circumference thresholds predicting incident dysglycaemia and type 2 diabetes in Black African men and women

AIMS

To determine the waist circumference (WC) thresholds for the prediction of incident dysglycaemia and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Black South African (SA) men and women and to compare these to the advocated International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Europid thresholds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective study, Black SA men (n = 502) and women (n = 527) from the Middle-aged Sowetan Cohort study who had normal or impaired fasting glucose at baseline (2011-2015) were followed up until 2017 to 2018. Baseline measurements included anthropometry, blood pressure and fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. At follow-up, glucose tolerance was assessed using an oral glucose tolerance test. The Youden index was used to determine the optimal threshold of WC to predict incident dysglycaemia and T2D.

RESULTS

In men, the optimal WC threshold was 96.8 cm for both dysglycaemia and T2D (sensitivity: 56% and 70%; specificity: 74% and 70%, respectively), and had higher specificity (P < 0.001) than the IDF threshold of 94 cm. In women, the optimal WC threshold for incident dysglycaemia was 91.8 cm (sensitivity 86%, specificity 37%) and for T2D it was 95.8 cm (sensitivity 85%, specificity 45%), which had lower sensitivity, but higher specificity to predict incident dysglycaemia and T2D than the IDF threshold of 80 cm (sensitivity: 97% and 100%; specificity: 12% and 11%, respectively)).

CONCLUSIONS

We show for the first time using prospective cohort data from Africa that the IDF Europid WC thresholds are not appropriate for an African population, and show that African-specific WC thresholds perform better than the IDF Europid thresholds to predict incident dysglycaemia and T2D.

A community based cross sectional study on the prevalence of dyslipidemias and 10 years cardiovascular risk scores in adults in Asmara, Eritrea

Despite the contribution of dyslipidemia to the high and rising burden of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Sub-Saharan Africa; the condition is under-diagnosed, under-treated, and under-described. The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence of dyslipidemias, estimate a 10-year cardiovascular disease risk and associated factors in adults (≥ 35 to ≤ 85 years) living in Asmara, Eritrea. This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals without overt CVDs in Asmara, Eritrea, from October 2020 to November 2020. After stratified multistage sampling, a total of 386 (144 (37%) males and 242 (63%) females, mean age ± SD, 52.17 ± 13.29 years) respondents were randomly selected. The WHO NCD STEPS instrument version 3.1 questionnaire was used to collect data. Information on socio-demographic variables was collected via interviews by trained data collectors. Measurements/or analyses including anthropometric, lipid panel, fasting plasma glucose, and blood pressure were also undertaken. Finally, data was analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). All p-values were 2-sided and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05 for all analyses. The frequency of dyslipidemia in this population was disproportionately high (87.4%) with the worst affected subgroup in the 51–60 age band. Further, 98% of the study participants were not aware of their diagnosis. In terms of individual lipid markers, the proportions were as follows: low HDL-C (55.2%); high TC (49.7%); high LDL (44.8%); high TG (38.1%). The mean ± SD, for HDL-C, TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and TG were 45.28 ± 9.60; 205.24 ± 45.77; 130.77 ± 36.15; 160.22 ± 42.09 and 144.5 ± 61.26 mg/dL, respectively. Regarding NCEP ATP III risk criteria, 17.6%, 19.4%, 16.3%, 19.7%, and 54.7% were in high or very high-risk categories for TC, Non-HDL-C, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C, respectively. Among all respondents, 59.6% had mixed dyslipidemias with TC + TG + LDL-C dominating. In addition, 27.3%, 28.04%, 23.0%, and 8.6% had abnormalities in 1, 2, 3 and 4 lipid abnormalities, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression modeling suggested that dyslipidemia was lower in subjects who were employed (aOR 0.48, 95% CI 0.24–0.97, p = 0.015); self-employed (aOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.17–1.00, p = 0.018); and married (aOR 2.35, 95% CI 1.19–4.66, p = 0.009). A higher likelihood of dyslipidemia was also associated with increasing DBP (aOR 1.04 mmHg (1.00–1.09, p = 0.001) and increasing FPG (aOR 1.02 per 1 mg/dL, 95% CI 1.00–1.05, p = 0.001). Separately, Framingham CVD Risk score estimates suggested that 12.7% and 2.8% were at 10 years CVD high risk or very high-risk strata. High frequency of poor lipid health may be a prominent contributor to the high burden of atherosclerotic CVDs—related mortality and morbidity in Asmara, Eritrea. Consequently, efforts directed at early detection, and evidence-based interventions are warranted. The low awareness rate also points at education within the population as a possible intervention pathway.