Assessment of cardiovascular disease risks using Framingham risk scores (FRS) in HIV-positive and HIV-negative older adults in South Africa

Abstract The relationship between HIV and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains complex. The aim of this study was to estimate the 10-year CVD risk among HIV-positive and HIV-negative people. The validated Framingham Risk Score (FRS) based on the Framingham Heart study was used to predict the CVD risk. Data for this analysis came from a 2016 cross-sectional study of South African community-dwelling older adults (≥50 years). Logistic regression models were constructed to assess the association between CVD risk and HIV. 403 respondents with a mean age 60 (SD = 6.7) years were enrolled, of whom 70% were female, 75% black African, 21.9% smokers, 77.2% never did any vigorous physical activity, and 17% were HIV-positive. The average 10-year CVD risk was 17%; significantly higher in men than women (23.2 vs 14.3%, p