HIV-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Defies ART

A large case series suggests that the prognosis of PAH is not dramatically altered by effective combination antiretroviral therapy.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare complication of HIV infection and one of the few in which incidence seems unrelated to stage of infection and degree of immunodeficiency. Does effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) influence the prognosis of PAH? A report from a large referral center in France suggests that good HIV treatment may be less important than good PAH treatment.

Between 2000 and 2008, 77 (8%) of nearly 1000 patients with PAH (confirmed by right heart catheterization) had HIV infection as their only risk factor. A minority were injection-drug users (36%). At the time of PAH diagnosis, 38 patients (49%) had undetectable viral loads, and 61 (79%) had CD4 counts >200 cells/mm³; most patients were receiving combination AR…

Reviewing Author

Abigail Zuger, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Abigail Zuger, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

HIV-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Defies ART

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Reviewing Author