The epidemiology, mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease in adult patients with HIV.

More than 1.2 million people in the United States have Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections but 13% of these people are unaware of their HIV infection. Current combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) does not cure HIV infection but rather suppresses the infection with the virus persisting indefinitely in latent reservoirs in the body. As a consequence of ART, HIV infection has changed from a fatal disease in the past to a chronic disease today. Currently in the United States, more than 45% of HIV+ individuals are greater than 50 years of age and 25% will be greater than 65 years of age by 2030. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), including myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiomyopathy, is now the major cause of death in HIV+ individuals. Novel risk factors, including chronic immune activation and inflammation in the body, antiretroviral therapy, and traditional CVD risk factors, such as tobacco and illicit drug use, hyperlipidemia, the metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and chronic renal disease, contribute to cardiovascular atherosclerosis. This article discusses the complex interactions involving HIV infection, the novel and traditional risk factors for CVD, and the antiretroviral HIV therapies which can contribute to CVD in HIV-infected people. In addition, the treatment of HIV+ patients with acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiomyopathy/heart failure are discussed. Current recommended ART and their major side effects are summarized in table format. All medical personnel must be aware of the increasing incidence of CVD on the morbidity and mortality in HIV infected patients and must be watchful for the presence of CVD in their patients with HIV.