Cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities in people living with HIV: A cross-sectional multicenter study from Colombia comorbidities in a Colombian PLWHIV population.

INTRODUCTION: HIV is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). There is insufficient information regarding comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors in the Colombian HIV population. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities in patients from the HIV Colombian Group VIHCOL. METHODS: This is a multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted in the VIHCOL network in Colombia. Patients 18 years or older who had at least 6 months of follow-up were included. A stratified random sampling was performed to estimate the adjusted prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities. RESULTS: A total of 1616 patients were included. 83.2% were men, and the median age was 34 years. The adjusted prevalence for dyslipidemia, active tobacco use, hypothyroidism, and arterial hypertension was 51.2% (99% CI: 48.0%-54.4%), 7.6% (99% CI: 5.9%-9.3%), 7.4% (99% CI: 5.7%-9.1%), and 6.3% (99% CI: 4.8%-7.9%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this Colombian HIV cohort, there is a high prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors such as dyslipidemia and active smoking. Non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures for the prevention and management of these risk factors should be reinforced.

Subclinical coronary atherosclerosis, HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy: Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of HIV infection and cumulative exposure to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with the presence and extent of coronary artery calcification (CAC). DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of 947 male participants (332 HIV-seronegative, 84 HAART-naive and 531 HAART-experienced HIV-infected) from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. METHODS: The main outcome was CAC score calculated as the geometric mean of the Agatston scores of two computed tomography replicates. Presence of CAC was defined as calcification score above 10, and extent of CAC by the score for those with CAC present. Multivariable regression was used to evaluate the association between HIV infection and HAART and presence and extent of calcification. RESULTS: Increasing age was most strongly associated with both prevalence and extent of CAC for all study groups. After adjustment for age, race, family history, smoking, high-density lipoprotein-C, low-density lipoprotein-C and hypertension, HIV infection (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.70, 2.61) and long-term HAART use (odds ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.87, 2.05) increased the odds for presence of CAC. In contrast, after adjustment for these covariates, the extent of CAC was lower among HAART users. Among those not taking lipid-lowering therapy, HAART usage of at least 8 years was associated with significantly reduced CAC scores (relative CAC score, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.24, 0.79). CONCLUSION: HAART use may have different effects on the presence and extent of coronary calcification. Although prevalence of calcification was marginally increased among long-term HAART users, the extent of calcification was significantly reduced among HAART users compared with HIV-seronegative controls.

Aproximación cualitativa al abandono del tratamiento antituberculoso en casos nuevos tratados en Bogotá / Qualitative approach to the abandonment of anti-tuberculosis treatment in new cases treated in Bogota

Antecedentes: el abandono del tratamiento antituberculoso constituye un importante problema de salud pública, dada su magnitud y efecto desfavorable en el logro de las metas de control de la tuberculosis. El conocimiento de las razones que lo motivan es prioritario para definir estrategias efectivas de intervención. Objetivo: identificar los factores individuales y de la atención de salud que son referidos como causa de abandono por pacientes tuberculo-sos que dejaron el tratamiento durante 1999. Metodología: el abordaje metodológico fue cualitativo, utilizando la técnica de entrevista en profundidad. La población objetivo correspondió a los 78 casos de abandono que se presentaron en la cohorte de casos nuevos de Tuberculosis que iniciaron tratamiento en instituciones notificadoras de Bogotá durante 1999. Para el estudio se eligieron 63 casos, todos ellos entrevistados. Resultados: en orden de frecuencia se identificaron como principales razones para haber abandonado el tratamiento: los efectos secundarios de la medicación, problemas con la atención, dificultades para conseguir el tratamiento, problemas económicos, problemas sociales, problemas con la información, problemas relacionados con el abuso de sustancias, decisión/olvido, mejoría sintomática y hospitalización por enfermedad intercurrente. Con respecto a los efectos secundarios de la medicación, las respuestas sugieren que como los factores adicionales al efecto adverso (sus características, intensidad o duración), la calidad de la atención y el seguimiento juegan un papel importante en la decisión de suspender el tratamiento. También fueron Identificados problemas en aspectos relacionados con el programa, con la institución donde se recibió tratamiento, con el personal de salud, con el personal administrativo de la institución de tratamiento, con el personal administrativo de la entidad de afiliación, con la información, con el inicio del tratamiento y con el régimen de aseguramiento en salud. Conclusiones: las razones para el abandono en este grupo de pacientes difieren considerablemente de las tradicionalmente encontradas e indican el importante papel jugado por las deficiencias en los aspectos logísticos y operativos del programa.

Background: the abandonment of tuberculosis treatment is an important public health problem, given its magnitude and unfavorable effect on the achievement of tuberculosis control goals. Knowledge of the reasons for this is a priority in order to define effective intervention strategies. Objective: to identify the individual and health care factors that are referred as a cause of abandonment by tuberculosis patients who stopped treatment during 1999. Methodology: the methodological approach was qualitative, using the in-depth interview technique. The target population corresponded to the 78 dropout cases that occurred in the cohort of new cases of tuberculosis that started treatment in notifying institutions in Bogota during 1999. Sixty-three cases were selected for the study, all of them interviewed. Results: in order of frequency, the following were identified as the main reasons for having abandoned treatment: medication side effects, problems with care, difficulties in obtaining treatment, economic problems, social problems, problems with information, problems related to substance abuse, decision/forgetfulness, symptomatic improvement, and hospitalization for intercurrent disease. With respect to medication side effects, the responses suggest that as factors in addition to the adverse effect (its characteristics, intensity or duration), quality of care and follow-up play an important role in the decision to discontinue treatment. Problems were also identified in aspects related to the program, to the institution where treatment was received, to the health personnel, to the administrative personnel of the treatment institution, to the administrative personnel of the affiliation entity, to the information, to the start of treatment and to the health insurance regime. Conclusions: the reasons for dropout in this group of patients differ considerably from those traditionally found and indicate the important role played by deficiencies in the logistical and operational aspects of the program.