HIV/AIDS HAART: HIV/AIDS patients on efavirenz therapy have high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increase

AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, July 10, 2006
Staff Medical Writers

In a recent article published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, scientists in Portugal conducted a study to “investigate the long-term effects of efavirenz on cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG).”

“Thirty-four HIV-infected patients who commenced efavirenz therapy were monitored for 36 months.”

“In patients with baseline HDL-C <40 mg/dL^-1,” wrote S.A. Pereira and colleagues at the New University of Lisbon, “an increase in HDL-C from 31±1 mg/dL^-1 to 44±2 mg/dL^-1 (95% confidence interval 5.9, 21.9, p<0.01) was observed and remained throughout the follow-up period.”

“Median efavirenz plasma concentration was 1.98 mg/L^-1 and a direct correlation between percentage of HDL-C variation or TC/HDL-C ratio and efavirenz plasma concentrations was found,” reported the authors.

Researchers concluded, “There is evidence of a long-term and concentration-dependent beneficial effect of efavirenz on HDL-C in HIV-infected patients.”

Pereira and colleagues published their study in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (Long-term and concentration-dependent beneficial effect of efavirenz on HDL-cholesterol in HIV-infected patients. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2006 May;61(5):601-4).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting E.C. Monteiro, New University of Lisbon, Faculty Med Science, Dept. Pharmacology, Campo Martires Patria 130, P-1169056 Lisbon, Portugal.

The publisher of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology can be contacted at: Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Rd., Oxford OX4 2DQ, Oxon, England.

Keywords: Lisbon, Portugal, HIV/AIDS, Efavirenz, High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Plasma Concentrations, Long-Term Effect.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Pereira SA, Branco T, Corte-Real RM, et al., “Long-term and concentration-dependent beneficial effect of efavirenz on HDL-cholesterol in HIV-infected patients”, Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2006 May;61(5):601-4.

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