BOSTON — Sexual orientation appears to have some unexplained effect on cardiovascular health, according to a new study.
“Seven million lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults will be aged >50 years by 2030; assessing and addressing their risk for cardiovascular disease is critical,” wrote the lead authors from Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. Researchers from the Washington, DC, VAMC and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven, CT, also participated.
The study team analyzed a nationwide cohort using VHA data. Sexual orientation (SO) was classified via a validated natural language-processing algorithm. The researchers identified prevalent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) (history of acute myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke or revascularization) via International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision (ICD-9 and ICD-10) codes. The index date was the date of the first primary care appointment on or after Oct. 1, 2009.
Prevalent ASCVD was present among 25,031 (4,105 LGB), according to the results published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.1
After adjusting for age, sex, race and Hispanic ethnicity, the researchers found that LGB veterans had 1.24 [1.19-1.28] greater odds of prevalent ASCVD vs. non-LGB identified veterans. The association remained significant upon additional adjustment for the ASCVD risk factors of substance use, anxiety and depression (odds ratio [OR],1.17 [95% CI, 1.13-1.21]), they added, noting that, among a subset with self-reported sexual orientation, findings were consistent (OR, 1.53 [95% CI, 1.20-1.95]).
“This is one of the first studies to examine cardiovascular risk factors and disease of the veteran population stratified by natural language processing-defined SO,” the authors advised. “Future research must explore psychological, behavioral, and physiological mechanisms that result in poorer cardiovascular health among LGB veterans.”
- Streed CG Jr, Duncan MS, Heier KR, Workman TE, Beach LB, Caceres BA, O’Leary JR, Skanderson M, Goulet JL. Prevalent Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Among Veterans by Sexual Orientation. J Am Heart Assoc. 2024 Nov 7:e036898. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.124.036898. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39508159.
