Abstract
Background
Estrogen-based hormone therapy (HT) may have beneficial cardiovascular effects when initiated in early menopause. This has not been examined in women with HIV who have heightened immune activation and cardiovascular risks.
Methods
Among 609 post-menopausal women (1,234 person-visits) in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, we examined the relationship of ever HT use (oral, patch, or vaginal) with subclinical atherosclerosis – carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), distensibility, and plaque assessed via repeated B-mode ultrasound imaging (2004-2013). We also examined associations of HT with cross-sectional biomarkers of immune activation and D-dimer. Statistical models were adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioral, and cardiometabolic factors.
Results
Women (mean age = 51, 80% HIV+) who ever used HT at baseline were older, and more likely to be non-Hispanic White and report higher income, than never users. Women who ever used HT had 43% lower prevalence of plaque (prevalence ratio = 0.57; 95% CI = [0.40, 0.80]; p < 0.01), 2.51 µm less progression of CIMT per year (95% CI = [-4.60, -0.41]; p = 0.02), and marginally lower incidence of plaque over ∼7 years (risk ratio = 0.38; 95% CI = [0.14, 1.03]; p = 0.06), compared with never users, adjusting for covariates; ever HT use was not associated with distensibility. These findings were similar for women with and without HIV. Ever HT use was associated with lower serum D-dimer, but not with biomarkers of immune activation after covariate adjustment.
Conclusions
HT may confer a subclinical cardiovascular benefit in women with HIV. These results begin to fill a knowledge gap in menopausal care for women with HIV, in whom uptake of HT is very low.
