Within subject variability of HDL-cholesterol in HIV-infected patients

ABSTRACT

Background and objective: Within-subject variability of cardiovascular risk factors may influence the development of cardiovascular disease. We aimed to improve knowledge on HDL-cholesterol variability and its clinical significance in HIV-infected patients, a population at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: This was a cohort study to quantify the variability of HDL-cholesterol between two consecutive visits and to determine factors associated with such variability, in a group of HIV-infected patients.

Results: A total of 307 patients were included, mean ± standard deviation of their age was 45.1 ± 8.5 years, and 225 of them (73.3%) were male. The absolute difference (after squaring and root squaring) of serum HDL-cholesterol level between the first and the second visit was 12.1 ± 9.2 mg/dL. In 65 patients (21.2%) the absolute value of the difference between both serum HDL-cholesterol level results were 20 mg/dL or higher. In a multivariable analysis the number of cigarettes smoked per day showed a significant, negative, correlation with the absolute difference in serum HDL-cholesterol level between the two visits (P = 0,009).

Conclusions: Within-subject variability of HDL-cholesterol was substantial among our HIV-infected patients. Smoking was inversely correlated with such variability.

KEYWORDS:

• Within subject variability
• HDL-cholesterol
• HIV-infected patients

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest regarding this work.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no funding to carry out this study.