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In 2008, abacavir was found to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in both the prospective D:A:D study and the randomized SMART trial, sparking the most heated antiretroviral controversy of the year (AIDS Clin Care Apr 14 2008 and Sep 11 2008). Fueling the ongoing debate is the absence of a credible putative mechanism by which this guanosine analogue could impair cardiovascular health. At least one analysis points to inflammation: Baseline blood samples collected from a nonrandom subset of SMART study participants revealed that two markers of inflammation, interleukin (IL)-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), were present at significantly higher levels in patients receiving abacavir than in those on other nucleosid…