Incidence of acute ischemic cerebrovascular events in a cohort of HIV-infected patients.

Abstract

The prevalence of vascular diseases in HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)-infected individuals has been comprehensively investigated. However, their incidence of ischemic cerebrovascular events has not been thoroughly examined. Our aim was to examine the rate of ischemic stroke or TIA (transient ischemic attack) in a defined HIV population and to find the risk factors that are characteristic in this population. A case-controlled retrospective cohort study of HIV patients followed up at Kaplan Medical Center between 2009 and 2017 was performed. The study included 300 patients who had been compared to a matched age and gender group. The data were collected by reviewing patients files and imaging studies. The first goal was to compare the incidence of ischemic cerebrovascular events in both groups. Secondary endpoints were to characterize the types of cerebrovascular events and risk factors in the study group versus the general population. There were more ischemic stroke cases in the study group vs. the control group. After adjusting for vascular risk factors in a multivariate analysis, the odds ratio for a cerebrovascular accident in the HIV patient group was 2.29 (p\u2009=\u20090.057). Notably, in the comparative group, the vascular risk factors rate (hyperlipidemia, IHD and smoking) was higher than in the HIV group. In this study, ischemic cerebrovascular events were more common in HIV-infected patients than in the control group, in spite of the fact that they had fewer vascular risk factors.