Recent evidence is suggesting that HIV patients have a greater risk of heart attacks that occur earlier in life, even if the virus is well controlled by drugs. And while HIV is no longer a death sentence, doctors should still be reminded about this little-known threat.
According to a study published last month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, HIV patients are four-times more likely to experience a sudden heart attack, compared to those not infected with the virus.
But why the connection between HIV which largely affects the immune system and heart disease? Well, as research suggests, certain drugs used to treat the infection may cause the liver to produce more cholesterol, which is an important risk factor for cardiac disease. But not just any drugs, clarifies ACSH s Dr. Josh Bloom. These are protease inhibitors. They were one of the first class of antiretrovirals used to fight HIV, and they were known to increase cholesterol production. Now, however, they are no longer used as a first line treatment.
And as Dr. Zian H. Tseng, a heart rhythm specialist and co-author of the latest study, points out, since smoking and recreational drug use are more common among HIV patients, these lifestyle factors may also increase the risk for heart attack. Previous studies have also suggested that patients infected with the virus develop high cholesterol and blocked arteries about a decade earlier than normal.
