Long-Term ART and Risk for Myocardial Infarction

Metabolic effects of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) may lead to increased rates of cardiovascular disease. Previous data from the DAD study, a multinational collaboration involving 11 observational cohorts, suggested that increased duration of ART is associated with increased rates of myocardial infarction (MI). Now, with longer follow-up and more clinical events, DAD investigators have examined how particular classes of antiretroviral drugs affect MI risk.

Of 23,437 HIV-infected patients, 345 suffered MIs during almost 100,000 person-years of observation. Notably, 61% of all study participants were either former or current smokers. MI incidence was higher in patients exposed to protease inhibitors (PIs) for ≥6 years than in …