title: Does first line antiretroviral therapy increase the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Indian patients?: A cross sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with a myriad of metabolic complications which are potential cardiovascular risk factors. Early detection of these risk factors could help in alleviating morbidity and mortality in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients on ART.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients on a combination of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-NRTIs (NNRTIs) - the standard combination first line ART regimen used in tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in HIV infected subjects with stage 1t disease on standard first line ART for at least 1 year, HIV infected subjects with stage 1 disease and not on ART and HIV negative subjects was assessed. The study was a cross-sectional study design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basic demographic data was collected and patients were examined for anthropometric data and blood was collected for analysis of blood glucose, serum lipids, and fasting insulin levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chi-square test was used to calculate significance. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 16.0 was used for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia was higher in the patients on ART when compared to patients not on ART (P<0.001). There was no difference in the prevalence of abnormal glycemic status, obesity, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia between patients on ART and those not on ART.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  First line ART is associated with increased prevalence of dyslipidemia. Early detection and treatment of dyslipidemia should help in reducing the cardiovascular morbidity in patients on ART.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: R A B
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rupali
authors.forename: O C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kattula
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019829:Nevirapine / Q000009:adverse effects; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D018119:Stavudine / Q000009:adverse effects; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; C516355:stavudine, lamivudine, nevirapine drug combination; D019259:Lamivudine; D015215:Zidovudine; D019829:Nevirapine; D018119:Stavudine