Cardiovascular Disease Burden in Rural Africa: Does HIV and Antiretroviral Treatment Play a Role?: Baseline Analysis of the Ndlovu Cohort Study

Background

HIV is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in high‐income countries. Little is known about the CVD burden in sub‐Saharan Africa, where 70% of the world's HIV‐positive population lives. This study aims to provide insight into the burden of CVD risk in a rural setting in sub‐Saharan Africa considering HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods and Results

A cross‐sectional analysis was conducted of the baseline of the Ndlovu Cohort study including HIV‐negative and HIV‐positive participants in rural South Africa between 2014 and 2017. Information was collected on demographics, socioeconomic status, and CVD risk factors. Carotid intima‐media thickness measurement was performed. The influence of HIV and ART on the burden of CVD was determined by comparing HIV‐positive participants who were ART naive on first‐line or second‐line ART with HIV‐negative participants. In total, 1927 participants were included, of whom 887 (46%) were HIV positive and 54% women. The median age was 38 years. Overall, 690 participants (79%) were on ART, with 613 (89%) on first‐line and 77 (11%) on second‐line therapy. Participants with HIV had lower values for most of the CVD risk factors but higher C‐reactive protein levels than HIV‐negative participants. ART‐naive, HIV‐positive participants had similar carotid intima‐media thickness compared with HIV‐negative participants but carotid intima‐media thickness was increased for participants on ART aged 30 years and older compared with HIV‐negative participants.

Conclusions

HIV‐positive participants presented with a favorable CVD risk profile compared with HIV‐negative participants. However, carotid intima‐media thickness was increased in HIV‐positive participants on ART, indicating a higher burden of subclinical CVD for the HIV‐positive population.

The association between HIV infection and pulmonary function in a rural African population

Objectives

HIV infection has been associated with an impaired lung function in high-income countries, but the association between HIV infection and pulmonary function in Sub-Saharan Africa remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the relation between HIV infection and pulmonary function in a rural African population.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-positive and HIV-negative adults in a rural area in South Africa, as part of the Ndlovu Cohort Study. A respiratory questionnaire and post-bronchodilator spirometry were performed. Multivariable regression analysis was used to investigate whether HIV was independently associated with a decrease in post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC ratio considering age, sex, body mass index, respiratory risk factors and a history of a pulmonary infection (tuberculosis (TB) or a pneumonia). Possible mediation by a history of pulmonary infection was tested by removing this variable from the final model.

Results

Two hundred and one consecutive participants were enrolled in the study in 2016, 84 (41.8%) were HIV-positive (82.1% on ART). The median age was 38 (IQR 29–51) years. Following multivariable analysis HIV was not significantly associated to a decline in post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio (β -0.017, p 0.18). However, upon removal of a history of a pulmonary infection from the final model HIV was significantly related to post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC ratio, β -0.026, p 0.03.

Conclusions

Pulmonary function is affected by HIV infection which most likely results from co-infection with TB or other pneumonia. Further research should focus on the influence of a pulmonary infection, most notably TB, on pulmonary function, especially as the incidence of TB is high in HIV infection.