Heart Disease in People Living With HIV

An interesting paper from the recent CROI meeting…not great news, though, and confirming what other researchers have been saying. Having HIV make the risk of heart disease (including things likes strokes, heart attacks, peripheral arterial disease) more likely: http://www.aidsmap.com/page/3248843/?utm_source=NAM-Email-Promotion&utm_medium=aidsmap-news&utm_campaign=aidsmap-news The reasons for this are not well understood, and does not appear to be related to […]

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the second most common form of cardiovascular disease (CVD) after coronary artery disease. Arteries in the lower limbs or supplying major organs become narrowed as a result of deposits of cholesterol. Blood supply to the limbs is reduced, leading to cramping or pain in the leg and hip muscles during activity, […]

Less frequent CD4 and viral load tests

Recently, there has been a move to people who are doing well on HIV treatment having their viral load and CD4 counts monitored less frequently. A large observational study, looking at data from almost 40,000 people from Europe and the United States, has looked into this issue. The researchers examined the results of people who began HIV treatment […]

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

People who are overweight, who smoke or who drink a lot of alcohol are more likely to have high blood pressure. If blood pressure is high, it causes a strain on blood vessels and the heart. The higher the blood pressure is, the greater the risk of stroke, heart problems and kidney failure. Researchers have found that high blood pressure (hypertension) is extremely common […]

Prompt HIV Treatment Makes No Difference to Rates of Heart Attack

START is a major study which aimed to identify the benefits and harms of beginning HIV treatment at a high CD4 cell count. As has already been reported, people who began HIV treatment immediately had a 57% reduction in serious illnesses and death. This has resulted in the guidelines for HIV treatment being re-written, with […]

Increased Risk of Heart Attack

A new study shows that the risk of heart attack increases the longer someone has been living with HIV. This is an ‘extra’ effect, on top of what can be expected as people get older and in addition to the impact that some anti-HIV drugs may have on the risk of heart attack. This is likely to […]

Statins May Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease in People Living With HIV

Statin use has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) and provide a survival benefit in the HIV-negative general population. However, the risk factors for CVD are somewhat different for people living with HIV. The question is being addressed by the REPRIEVE study, a very large multicentre clinical trial which is now getting underway. However, even […]

Triumeq – A New Single-tablet HIV Regimen

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Triumeq, ViiV Healthcare’s single-tablet, triple-combination antiretroviral (ARV) regimen, as a first-line therapy to treat HIV. The tablet is comprised of the integrate inhibitor (II) Tivicay (dolutegravir) plus Epzicom (abacavir and lamivudine) and is the first single-tablet regimen to receive approval that does not contain Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine). […]

Heart attack link to abacavir persists in D:A:D study

In March 2008, the D:A:D study, a large study totalling over 30,000 participants, first published results showing an almost doubled risk of heart attack in people taking abacavir. Some other studies, though, have found no evidence of increased risk. D:A:D’s own evidence suggests the increased risk is only significant in people who already have risk factors for a […]

HIV, Cardiovascular Disease and High Blood Pressure

HIV is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The exact reasons for this aren’t clear; it’s thought that a number of factors are important, including traditional CVD risk factors, the inflammation caused by untreated HIV infection, and the side-effects of some anti-HIV drugs. High blood pressure or hypertension is one of those traditional risk factors […]