336. Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Among Persons Living with HIV in the United States Military Natural History Study

BACKGROUND: The use of antiretroviral therapy has reduced morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infection primarily due to the reduction of AIDS-related events. Although guidelines have aimed to standardize preventive care, disparities in prevention of cardiovascular disease remain prevalent across multiple cohorts. METHODS: The US Military HIV Natural History Study is an open cohort of Department of Defense beneficiaries. We included subjects aged 21–75 whose most recent study visit was between October 2015 and September 2016 and conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of established cardiovascular disease risk factors and statin use. To determine statin eligibility we used the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association 2013 atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease management guidelines and included subjects who had all necessary data elements for analysis. RESULTS: The participants (n = 1223) were predominantly middle-aged (median 47 years, Interquartile Range [IQR] 33–55), male (95%), and were racially diverse (46% African-American, 16% Hispanic/other). The rate of tobacco use was 16%, diabetes was 11%, and 36% had hypertension. In total, 486 (40%) patients met criteria for statin therapy, with 17% of those being for secondary prevention. As of their last visit, 52 (4%) had a detectable HIV viral load. Statins were prescribed to only 302 (62%) of those with an indication, with lower prescription rates in African Americans (52%) and Hispanics (58%) than Caucasians (73%). Average blood pressure, rates of tobacco use, and prevalence of diabetes were equal between the African American and Caucasian groups. CONCLUSION: We found significant racial disparities in both primary and secondary cardiovascular disease mitigation within the military healthcare system. Previous studies have found similar racial differences attributed to socioeconomic factors and higher rates of intravenous drug use. As active duty service members have a stable income, open access to healthcare, and low rates of injection drug use, our findings challenge that premise. Understanding whether this is due to prescribing practices, physician-patient relationships, or healthcare uptake is critical to narrowing this major gap in care. [Image: see text] DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.