Are Antiretrovirals Associated with Heart Disease?

The metabolic complications associated with potent combination antiretroviral therapy have raised concerns that these drugs may increase risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Findings from a number of small case series and retrospective studies support this hypothesis. In this retrospective analysis using a Department of Veterans Affairs patient database, researchers analyzed patterns of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in 36,766 HIV-positive patients who used VA services from 1993 through mid-2001. Most patients (98%) were male, and 52% were black. Twenty-three percent had been treated for heart-disease risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or smoking) and 7% for vascular disease at a VA facility bef…