Important note: Information in this article was accurate in July 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
In the past few years disturbing reports have begun to accumulate about young, relatively healthy HIV positive men who have developed heart disease or suffered heart attacks. Researchers and health-care providers treating people with HIV are taking these reports seriously, and increasing attention has been devoted to cardiovascular disease at recent medical conferences.
It remains to be determined whether these cardiovascular manifestations are attributable to HIV infection itself, to antiretroviral drug therapy, to a high prevalence among HIV positive people of traditional risk factors that pose a danger for the population at large—such as tobacco smoking, older age, male sex, and family history—or to some other not-yet-known factors.
Heart disease in people with HIV remains poorly understood and continues to generate considerable fear and controversy. But there is good reason to believe that common-sense risk reduction strategies can help delay or prevent cardiovascular problems such as atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes.
|
|
The complete article is available here: b51_cardio.pdf. 456k, 13 pages To view this Acrobat file, use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. |
|
T |
The text-only HTML version of the article is available here. 68k |
|
? |
Questions, comments or suggestions? Click here to send us an email. |
Liz Highleyman is a freelance medical writer and editor based in San Francisco.
020710
BE020702
Copyright © 2002 - San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Reproduced by permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through BETA: PO Box 426182, San Francisco, CA 94142-6182. Tel: 415 487 8060 Fax: 415 487 8069 URL: http://www.sfaf.org/beta E-mail: beta@sfaf.org
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2002. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content .
