Risk of cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients

Abstract

The life expectancy of people living with HIV infection has improved dramatically since the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Now that patients with HIV infection are living longer, the focus of its treatment should shift to long-term management spanning decades. Diseases of ageing, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), have now become more important. The evidence of cardiovascular risk associated with HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy is explored and discussed in this article. © The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.