title: Association of highly active antiretroviral therapy with increased arterial stiffness in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metabolic disorders associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease have been described in "HIV-infected" individuals. We investigated (i) whether normotensive "HIV-infected" individuals and hypertensive patients have similarities regarding their arterial elastic properties and (ii) the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and metabolic factors on arterial stiffness.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a case-control study, we compared measurements of pulse wave velocity (PWV), arterial blood pressure, and markers of metabolic profile in 56 normotensive, "HIV-infected" patients (mean age 40 +/- 13 years) to 28 age- and sex-matched newly diagnosed untreated patients with hypertension and 28 healthy individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  "HIV-infected" patients had higher PWV than healthy controls but lower PWV than hypertensives (8.1 +/- 1.4 m/s vs. 6.7 +/- 1.1 m/s vs. 9.0 +/- 1.0 m/s, P = 0.003 and 0.01, respectively). However, patients on HAART had similar PWV with hypertensives (8.4 +/- 1.4 vs. 9.0 +/- 1.0 m/s P = 0.25). Patients on HAART had higher PWV than patients without (8.4 +/- 1.4 m/s vs. 7.5 +/- 1.3 m/s, P = 0.03). Patients on HAART had higher total cholesterol, triglycerides, and diastolic blood pressure than patients naive to HAART (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, the independent determinants of increased PWV were HAART duration (unstandardized coefficient b v = 0.007, P = 0.04), serum cholesterol (b = 0.007, P = 0.04), mean or diastolic blood pressure (b = 0.049 and b = 0.060, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  "HIV-infected" individuals have increased arterial stiffness compared to healthy controls. Patients on antiretroviral therapy have similarities regarding their arterial elastic properties with patients with untreated hypertension. There is an independent association between duration of antiretroviral therapy, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure with increased arterial stiffness in "HIV-infected" patients.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Lekakis
authors: Ignatios
authors: I
authors: Ikonomidis
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Palios
authors: Sotirios
authors: S
authors: Tsiodras
authors: Emmanouil
authors: E
authors: Karatzis
authors: Garyfalia
authors: G
authors: Poulakou
authors: Loukianos
authors: L
authors: Rallidis
authors: Anastasia
authors: A
authors: Antoniadou
authors: Periklis
authors: P
authors: Panagopoulos
authors: Antonios
authors: A
authors: Papadopoulos
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Triantafyllidi
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Giamarellou
authors: Dimitrios T
authors: DT
authors: Kremastinos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis