1st International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment
July 7-11, 2001
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Role of HAART in Development of Hypertension Among HIV-Infected Women
Khalsa and colleagues from the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) in the United States investigated the prevalence and incidence of hypertension among a cohort of 2057 HIV-infected women and 569 demographically similar HIV-negative women at risk. All participants are seen every 6 months, during which a careful history, physical examination, and extensive laboratory evaluation are performed. The study began in 1994, and data were presented through 1999. Hypertension at baseline was defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 or greater, and/or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 or above, or receipt of antihypertensive medications.
Over time, hypertension was defined as elevated blood pressure (as defined above) occurring at 2 or more 6-monthly visits, and/or receipt of antihypertensive medications. At baseline, the prevalence of hypertension in HIV-infected women (25.8%) was identical to that in the HIV-negative group (25.8%).
In analyzing those factors associated with hypertension in the HIV-infected women, 4 factors were found to be statistically significant on multivariate analysis:
Future analyses will seek to determine whether hypertension is associated with the occurrence of lipodystrophy.
This study is of interest for several reasons. First, approximately one third of all women in the study had hypertension at baseline. Second, the prevalence of hypertension in women who had been on HAART for 2 or more years approached 41.3%. These data will be especially important in terms of the potential for coronary artery disease over time, as the women grow older, as they continue to smoke, and as HAART leads to prolonged elevation of cholesterol and triglycerides.
Clearly this will be an area of importance for future investigations. Thanks to alexandra Levine, MD, and Medscape. Khalsa A, Minkoff H, Cohen M, et al. Hypertension in HIV infected women: Relationship to HAART in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). Program and abstracts of The 1st IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment; July 8-11, 2001; Buenos Aires, Argentina. Abstract 512.