Cardiovascular disease risk in an aging HIV population: not just a question of biology.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this review is to appraise recently published literature that describes the relationship between HIV, biologic and environmental risk factors, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk with particular emphasis on the aging HIV population and to demonstrate that these biologic and environmental factors may interact to increase the risk of CVD in the HIV population.


RESULTS
The mechanisms linking HIV and CVD are multifactorial and encompass biological and 'environmental' modalities including multimorbid conditions that co-occur with HIV, immunologic alterations associated with HIV, polypharmacy (which affects adherence and increases likelihood of adverse drug-drug interactions) and healthcare disparities in CVD risk reduction by HIV status.


CONCLUSIONS
Data regarding optimal treatment strategies that balance immunological restoration and CVD risk reduction are needed.
aYale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut bUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Kaku
K
So-Armah
Matthew S
MS
Freiberg
D000375:Aging; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans