Fenofibrate in the treatment of dyslipidemia associated with HIV infection.

IMPORTANCE TO THE FIELD

Dyslipidemia is common among HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. A higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is associated with specific antiretroviral medications. The aging of HIV infected people and the intersection of other CHD risk factors have led to the need for developing effective interventions to lower the risk of CHD events.

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW

The authors review current literature on the use of fenofibrate and related derivatives in HIV-infected people with dyslipidemia using antiretroviral therapy.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN

Fibrates have been demonstrated to reduce the risk of CHD events in HIV seronegative individuals with mixed results on survival benefits. There are no published studies of CHD outcomes using fibrates in people with HIV infection. Several studies conducted in HIV infected people demonstrate the ability of fenofibrate to lower triglycerides and increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels with few adverse events. The authors review the pharmacology and clinical efficacy/safety of the use of fenofibrate in people with HIV infection.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Fenofibrate is a generally safe and useful agent for the treatment of mixed dyslipidemia and hypertriglyceridemia in people with HIV infection though limited data are available particularly on clinical outcomes.