scholarly journals Menopausal Symptoms and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Indices Among Women With HIV

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A293-A294
Author(s):  
Mabel Toribio ◽  
Evelynne S Fulda ◽  
Sarah M Chu ◽  
Zsofia D Drobni ◽  
Magid Awadalla ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Women with HIV (WWH) (vs. women without HIV) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in relation to heightened systemic immune activation/inflammation. Moreover, WWH show evidence of advanced reproductive aging and unique patterns of hot flash symptomatology. General population studies have revealed that hot flashes may relate to surrogate markers of CVD risk. The relationship between hot flashes and immune activation as well as subclinical cardiac pathology among WWH has not been previously investigated. Methods: In a prospective, cross-sectional study, 23 WWH on anti-retroviral therapy and 19 women without HIV (ages 40–75), group-matched on age and BMI, were enrolled and completed reproductive health assessments, immune phenotyping and cardiovascular MRI. Women without prior CVD or diabetes were eligible. Results: Women were similar in age and BMI (WWH vs. women without HIV: 51 ± 5 vs. 52 ± 6 years, P=0.79 and 32 ± 8 vs. 31 ± 7 kg/m2, P=0.71). There was no significant between-group difference in the percentage of women without menses in the past year (p=0.52) or in the percentage of women with undetectable levels of anti-mullerian hormone (p=0.71). No women in either group were on estrogen and/or progesterone for treatment of menopausal symptoms. Hot flash frequency (days per week with hot flashes) was higher among WWH versus women without HIV (median [IQR], 7.0 [1.3, 7.0] vs. 0.8 [0.0, 2.1], p=0.01). In sensitivity analyses excluding either women with menses in the past year or with detectable AMH, WWH still reported a significantly higher number of days per week with hot flashes (7.0 [6.3, 7.0] vs. 0.4 [0.0, 2.3], p=0.007, and 7.0 [2.4, 7.0] vs. 0.8 [0.0, 2.1], p=0.01, respectively). Among WWH experiencing (vs. not experiencing) hot flashes in the past year, longer duration of ART use was noted (21.2 [16.0, 22.7] vs. 9.3 [3.3, 16.0] years, p=0.03). Among the entire cohort and among WWH, women with more than one hot flash per day had higher levels of soluble CD14, a marker of monocyte activation, compared to women with one or fewer hot flash per day (p=0.004 and p=0.02, respectively). Among WWH and a history of hot flashes, years since onset of hot flashes related to cardiovascular MRI-derived measures of subclinical pathology. Specifically, years since onset of hot flashes related directly to myocardial steatosis (intramyocardial triglyceride content; ρ=0.80, p=0.02) and inversely to diastolic function (left atrial passive ejection fraction; ρ=─0.70, p=0.03). Conclusions: WWH experienced a higher frequency of hot flashes compared to women without HIV. Among WWH, hot flash symptomatology related to systemic immune activation and to cardiovascular MRI-derived measures of CVD risk. Additional research is required to improve understanding of mechanisms underlying these relationships and determine if hot flashes are a sex-specific risk factor for CVD in WWH.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mabel Toribio ◽  
Evelynne S Fulda ◽  
Sarah M Chu ◽  
Zsofia D Drobni ◽  
Magid Awadalla ◽  
...  

Abstract Women with HIV (WWH) transitioning through menopause have heightened cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. In the general population, hot flash burden relates to CVD risk indices. We found higher hot flash burden among women with vs without HIV. Further, among WWH, hot flash burden related to select CVD risk indices. ClinicalTrials.gov Registration NCT02874703.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alinda G. Vos ◽  
Caitlin N. Dodd ◽  
Eveline M. Delemarre ◽  
Stefan Nierkens ◽  
Celicia Serenata ◽  
...  

IntroductionInsight into inflammation patterns is needed to understand the pathophysiology of HIV and related cardiovascular disease (CVD). We assessed patterns of inflammation related to HIV infection and CVD risk assessed with carotid intima media thickness (CIMT).MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed in Johannesburg, South Africa, including participants with HIV who were virally suppressed on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) as well as HIV-negative participants who were family members or friends to the HIV-positive participants. Information was collected on CVD risk factors and CIMT. Inflammation was measured with the Olink panel ‘inflammation’, allowing to simultaneously assess 92 inflammation markers. Differences in inflammation patterns between HIV-positive and HIV-negative participants were explored using a principal component analysis (PCA) and ANCOVA. The impact of differentiating immune markers, as identified by ANCOVA, on CIMT was assessed using linear regression while adjusting for classic CVD risk factors.ResultsIn total, 185 HIV-positive and 104 HIV negative participants, 63% females, median age 40.7 years (IQR 35.4 – 47.7) were included. HIV-positive individuals were older (+6 years, p <0.01) and had a higher CIMT (p <0.01). No clear patterns of inflammation were identified by use of PCA. Following ANCOVA, nine immune markers differed significantly between HIV-positive and HIV-negative participants, including PDL1. PDL1 was independently associated with CIMT, but upon stratification this effect remained for HIV-negative individuals only.ConclusionHIV positive patients on stable ART and HIV negative controls had similar immune activation patterns. CVD risk in HIV-positive participants was mediated by inflammation markers included in this study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. S332-S339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice H Lichtenstein

ABSTRACT Dietary modification has been the cornerstone of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention since the middle of the last century when the American Heart Association (AHA) first issued recommendations. For the vast majority of that time the focus has been on saturated fat, with or without concomitant guidance for total or unsaturated fat. Over the past few years there has been a renewed debate about the relation between dietary saturated fat and CVD risk, prompted by a series of systematic reviews that have come to what appears to be different conclusions. This triggered a robust discourse about this controversy in the media that in turn has led to confusion in the general public. The genesis of the different conclusions among the systematic reviews has been identified in several studies on the basis of isocaloric substitution analyses. When the data were analyzed on the basis of polyunsaturated fat replacing saturated fat, there was a positive relation between dietary saturated fat and CVD. When the data were analyzed on the basis of carbohydrate replacing saturated fat, there was a null relation between dietary saturated fat and CVD. When the substitution macronutrient was not taken into consideration, the differential effects of the macronutrient substitution went unrecognized and the relations judged as null. The lack of distinction among substituted macronutrients accounted for much of what appeared to be discrepancies. Dietary guidance consistent with replacing foods high in saturated fat with foods high in unsaturated fat, first recommended more than 50 y ago, remains appropriate to this day.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (30) ◽  
pp. 4765-4771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Jones ◽  
James Cantrell ◽  
Svetislava Vukelja ◽  
John Pippen ◽  
Joyce O'Shaughnessy ◽  
...  

Purpose Hormonal breast cancer treatment increases menopausal symptoms in women. This study investigated differences between the symptoms associated with either adjuvant tamoxifen or exemestane. Patients and Methods Ten common symptoms were assessed by self-report questionnaire administered to 1,614 consecutive patients at baseline and every 3 months during the first year of a double-blind, randomized trial of postmenopausal women with early hormone receptor–positive breast cancer. Symptoms were categorized as none, mild, moderate, or severe. A hot flash score was calculated at each time point. Symptoms were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. Each time period was tested repeatedly against the baseline; an overall P value was assigned for each reported symptom. Results Compliance was excellent, with 7,286 questionnaires analyzed. Baseline symptom prevalence ranged from 2% (vaginal bleeding) to 60% to 70% (bone/muscle aches and low energy). There were no significant differences in vaginal bleeding, mood alteration, or low energy. Patients receiving tamoxifen had significantly more vaginal discharge (P < .0001). Exemestane patients reported more bone/muscle aches (P < .0001), vaginal dryness (P = .0004), and difficulty sleeping (P = .03). In both groups, the hot flash score peaked at 3 months and decreased thereafter. At 12 months, patients receiving tamoxifen had a significantly higher mean hot flash score (P = .03), with daily hot flashes increasing from baseline by 33% compared with a 7% increase from baseline with exemestane. Conclusion At 12 months, exemestane was associated with fewer hot flashes and less vaginal discharge than tamoxifen, but with more vaginal dryness, bone/muscle aches, and difficulty sleeping. Symptoms were common in both groups.


2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 2739-2745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith S. Jacobson ◽  
Andrea B. Troxel ◽  
Joel Evans ◽  
Lorissa Klaus ◽  
Linda Vahdat ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: Most breast cancer survivors experience hot flashes; many use complementary or alternative remedies for these symptoms. We undertook a randomized clinical trial of black cohosh, a widely used herbal remedy for menopausal symptoms, among breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with breast cancer who had completed their primary treatment were randomly assigned to black cohosh or placebo, stratified on tamoxifen use. At enrollment, patients completed a questionnaire about demographic factors and menopausal symptoms. Before starting to take the pills and at 30 and 60 days, they completed a 4-day hot flash diary. At the final visit, they completed another menopausal symptom questionnaire. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were measured in a subset of patients at the first and final visits. RESULTS: Of 85 patients (59 on tamoxifen, 26 not on tamoxifen) enrolled in the study, 42 were assigned to treatment and 43 were assigned to placebo; 69 completed all three hot flash diaries. Both treatment and placebo groups reported declines in number and intensity of hot flashes; the differences between the groups were not statistically significant. Both groups also reported improvements in menopausal symptoms that were, for the most part, not significantly different. Changes in blood levels of FSH and LH also did not differ in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Black cohosh was not significantly more efficacious than placebo against most menopausal symptoms, including number and intensity of hot flashes. Our study illustrates the feasibility and value of standard clinical trial methodology in assessing the efficacy and safety of herbal agents.


Diabetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 664-P
Author(s):  
JODI KRALL ◽  
KRISTINE RUPPERT ◽  
ANA M. DIAZ ◽  
JESSICA FINNEY ◽  
LINDA M. SIMINERIO ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 431-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
George E. Fragoulis ◽  
Ismini Panayotidis ◽  
Elena Nikiphorou

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory arthritis. Inflammation, however, can spread beyond the joints to involve other organs. During the past few years, it has been well recognized that RA associates with increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) compared with the general population. This seems to be due not only to the increased occurrence in RA of classical CVD risk factors and comorbidities like smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and others but also to the inflammatory burden that RA itself carries. This is not unexpected given the strong links between inflammation and atherosclerosis and CVD. It has been shown that inflammatory cytokines which are present in abundance in RA play a significant role in every step of plaque formation and rupture. Most of the therapeutic regimes used in RA treatment seem to offer significant benefits to that end. However, more studies are needed to clarify the effect of these drugs on various parameters, including the lipid profile. Of note, although pharmacological intervention significantly helps reduce the inflammatory burden and therefore the CVD risk, control of the so-called classical risk factors is equally important. Herein, we review the current evidence for the underlying pathogenic mechanisms linking inflammation with CVD in the context of RA and reflect on the possible impact of treatments used in RA.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Westerink ◽  
K Sommer Matthiessen ◽  
S Nuhoho ◽  
U Fainberg ◽  
M Lyng Wolden ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of disability and death in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In a post hoc analysis of pooled data (POOLED cohort) from two phase 3, randomized CV outcomes trials, SUSTAIN 6 (NCT01720446) and PIONEER 6 (NCT02692716), the addition of the glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue semaglutide to standard of care (SoC) in people with T2D at high risk of CVD significantly reduced the risk of major adverse CVD events (3-point MACE: CV death, non-fatal stroke and non-fatal myocardial infarction). Purpose To estimate the effect of adding semaglutide to SoC on CVD-free life-years and 10-year CVD risk in patients with T2D by predicting individual patient-level risk of CVD events in the POOLED cohort using the DIAL CVD risk model. Methods The 3-point MACE hazard ratio from the POOLED cohort (N=6480; HR = 0.76 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.62–0.92]) was applied to the patient-level lifetime risk of CVD events derived from the DIAL model. CVD-free life-years and 10-year CVD risk were then calculated based on the age-specific risks of CVD events and non-vascular mortality, using standard actuarial methods. Both new and recurrent CVD events were considered. The DIAL model was validated by comparing the predicted and observed number of CVD events after 1 year. The DIAL model was previously developed using data from people with T2D in the Swedish National Diabetes Registry and validated across geographical regions. Results The DIAL model was considered valid for use in the POOLED cohort because the predicted number of CVD events at 1 year was within 5% of the number observed. Adding semaglutide to SoC was associated with a mean reduction in 10-year CVD risk of 20.0% (95% CI: 6.4–32.6%) and a mean increase of 1.72 (95% CI: 0.52–2.96) CVD-free life-years. The number of mean CVD-free life-years gained ranged from 0.62–2.91 years between age groups (Table). For a 60-year-old male with baseline characteristics matched to the average male from the POOLED cohort, adding semaglutide to SoC reduced 10-year CVD risk by 20.8% and provided 2.53 additional CVD-free life-years. The number of CVD-free life-years decreased when baseline age was increased (Figure). Conclusions The addition of semaglutide to SoC was associated with a gain in CVD-free life-years. This analysis helps contextualize the results of CV outcomes trials and may help to inform clinical decision-making. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Novo Nordisk A/S


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