The Role of Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease in HIV-Infected Patients

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type I, or HIV, is one of the most well-known and well-researched viruses in the world. The current standard of care for HIV infected individuals is an antiretroviral drug therapy regiment, or ART, started immediately after diagnosis. While this treatment is generally quite effective at keeping the viral load low and stopping the progression from HIV infection to AIDS, patients receiving ART therapy still have a lower life expectancy than uninfected individuals. Many times, the cause of death in these patients is not the common opportunistic pathogens and cancers linked to HIV and AIDS, but chronic health conditions that develop. One of these conditions that is seen in many of the HIV infected patients undergoing the antiretroviral therapy is cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. Research shows that one of the key players in developing these conditions in HIV patients is the chronic inflammation caused by the immune system attempts to control the level of the virus. By studying the links between HIV, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease, we may be able to find solutions to the development of chronic disease in HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy.