Cardiovascular and endothelial disease in HIV infection

As combination antiretroviral therapy improves outcome for HIV-infected patients, more focus is directed on the durability of these regimens and the prevention of long-term adverse events. Given the prevalence of metabolic complications associated with combination therapy, namely insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and truncal adiposity, interest in whether these complications predispose patients to cardiovascular disease prematurely is appropriate. This paper reviews the most recent data regarding the effects of HIV and its treatment on endothelial dysfunction, serum biomarkers, and vascular indices, and provides an update on the risk for cardiovascular events in the HIV-infected patient population.