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HIV infection has been linked to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), possibly mediated by increased inflammation, which may persist even after the initiation of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). Increased CVD risk has also been linked to certain antiretrovirals, including some protease inhibitors and abacavir, although no consensus has been reached on the latter.
In a substudy of ACTG 5202, researchers evaluated changes in inflammatory and endothelial-activation markers following ART initiation among 244 patients who were randomized to receive tenofovir/FTC or abacavir/3TC plus either efavirenz or ritonavir-boosted atazanavir.
The key findings:
From baseline to weeks 24 and 96, all treatment groups experienced similar, si…