Evaluation of Biochemical Markers of Cardiac Risk in ART-Treated HIV-Infected Adults in Rwanda
Abstract Background Life expectancy of people living with HIV infection has improved due to access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Rwanda like other African countries. However, both HIV infection and use of ART are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks, due to adverse changes in some biochemical markers, causing dyslipidemia and other metabolic imbalances. The CVD risk associated with metabolic biomarkers that may affect cardiac function with use of the ART, has not been well characterized in Rwanda. We evaluated the association between the use and duration of ART and abnormal changes in biochemical markers of CVD risk among HIV infected adults in Rwanda. Methods Participants were enrolled from HIV Clinics Public Health Centers in a cross-sectional study in Kigali. A total of 150 participants between 18-45 years included 30 HIV-Uninfected (HIV-) and 120 HIV-infected (HIV+) adults. Among the HIV+ adults, 40 participants were ART-naïve. Data were collected on health-related behaviors and biochemical markers of CVD risk. We compared changes in CVD-related biochemical markers between HIV-, HIV+ ART-naïve and HIV+ on ART treatment groups. Results Majority of participants were women (60%), and HIV- were younger (35±6 vs. 31±6 years). We observed differences in levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in HIV+ ART-treated and HIV+ ART-naïve groups. Total cholesterol and triglycerides were associated with use of ART. Serum triglycerides were lower in HIV+ ART-naïve compared to HIV+ on ART treatment (61.20±18.30 mg/dl vs. 85.00±38.30 mg/dl; p< 0.01). While total cholesterol was higher in HIV+ on ART than HIV+ ART-naïve (136.00±45.00 mg/dl vs. 119.00±36.00 mg/dl; p<0.04), HDL-C was associated with longer exposure to ART (68.70±30.00 mg/dl vs. 54.90±25.70 mg/dl; p=0.02) among HIV+ on ART for 0-6 months and 7-12 months respectively. Conclusion Changes in serum total cholesterol and triglycerides were associated with use of ART. Although these changes were within the upper limits of normal ranges, our findings suggest early increases in both biochemical biomarkers of cardiac risk associated. These findings underscore the need for early evaluation of lipid profiles as biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk, to effectively monitor how ART may contribute to cardiovascular disease and deter treatment programs in African countries.