Traditional Risk Factors Drive Heart Disease in People with HIV

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tednlou2:
A new study has found that higher rates of subclinical cardiovascular disease among people with HIV are driven more by traditional risk factors that affect the general population than by HIV-related factors, aidsmap reports. Published in the online edition of the journal AIDS, the paper examined 331 participants who did not have advanced HIV disease and were about to begin antiretroviral treatment. Researchers monitored the participants with ultrasounds of their carotid artery intimamedia thickness (CIMT) and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in their brachial artery.

The cohort was 89 percent male, 44 percent white and had a median age of 36 years. About a quarter of participants had received an AIDS diagnosis. Their median CD4 count was 349 and their median viral load about 32,000.

The researchers found that indicators of cardiovascular disease risk were more strongly associated with aging, body size and lipoprotein levels rather than CD4 count, viral load, inflammatory markers and cytokines. They wrote that their findings should encourage people with HIV to make healthy lifestyle choices involving diet, regular exercise and quitting smoking, all of which can lower their risk of cardiovascular disease.

http://www.poz.com/articles/Cardiovacular_Risk_761_23337.shtml

Common_ground:
Is it just me or havent there been a steady stream of research papers and articles of lately "downplaying" HIV(treated) and its effect on our health, from the top of my head smoking, diet, drugs and other health issues seems to be gaining more importance.

skycee:
i feel you common ground

Newguy:

--- Quote from: Common_ground on January 03, 2013, 04:30:40 AM ---Is it just me or havent there been a steady stream of research papers and articles of lately "downplaying" HIV(treated) and its effect on our health, from the top of my head smoking, diet, drugs and other health issues seems to be gaining more importance.

--- End quote ---

This is not downplaying HIV infection at all. If anything, research like this should be encouraging for people to make lifestyle changes. There was an article the other day regarding smoking and HIV and that smokers with HIV had a dramatic lower life expectancy. The fact that this was a shock is a a shock itself because we know that smokers without HIV have a dramatic lower life expectancy than smokers without HIV. I have a lot of wonderful friends who love their smoking, drinking and drugs and I remind them constantly they are no longer 19! Even before I was infected with HIV, if I got hammered on the weekend it would ruin my week. I had to remind myself I too was no longer 19!

Common_ground:
I think you missed my point but whatever. Sure, lifestyle changes for the better are good.

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