Overall Lipid Profile Does Not Improve When Antiretroviral Therapy Is Stopped

Patients who stopped ART in a clinical trial experienced modest declines in lipid levels; these changes were most closely linked to increased viral replication.

With widespread use of potent antiretroviral therapy (ART), the causes of illness and death among HIV-infected patients have shifted from AIDS-related to non–AIDS-related complications, such as cardiovascular disease. While HIV infection can reduce HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, antiretrovirals can increase LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Similarly, while HIV infection can increase inflammation and immune activation, antiretrovirals can mitigate these effects. In this analysis from the SMART study (a randomized comparison of continuous vs. intermittent ART), researchers investigated how lipid profiles and biomarker levels change in the first month after patients stop taking ART.

The analysis involved 332 patients, 156 of whom were …

Reviewing Author

Keith Henry, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardViiV Advisory Board

Editorial BoardsJAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes

Keith Henry, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardViiV Advisory Board

Editorial BoardsJAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes

Overall Lipid Profile Does Not Improve When Antiretroviral Therapy Is Stopped

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Reviewing Author