HIV-positive blacks have a higher risk of stroke compared with other races living with the virus, aidsmap reports. Researchers conducted a prospective observational cohort study of 6,933 people with no history of stroke who started HIV treatment for the first time between 1998 and 2011 and who were members of the ACTG Longitudinal Randomized Trials cohort and other associated clinical trials.

During 32,023 person-years of follow-up (person-years are the cumulative years participants spend in a study), there were 54 strokes or “ministrokes” among the cohort, for an overall incidence of 1.69 per 1,000 person-years of follow-up. The rates were higher among older individuals.

The stroke rate was higher in women than in men, but after adjusting the data for age, the researchers found that the difference was not statistically significant, meaning it may have occurred by chance.

The stroke and ministroke rate was 2.51 per 1,000 person-years in black individuals, compared with 0.77 per 1,000 person-years in Latinos and 1.56 per 1,00 person-years in whites. After adjusting the data for age, the researchers found that blacks were 2.94 times more likely than Latinos and 1.67 times more likely than whites to have a stroke or ministroke.

To read the aidsmap article, click here.

To read the conference abstract, click here.