“Through the Looking Glass”: Imaging Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With HIV

By Ronak Rajani, Roberta Lima Brum, and Vitaliy Androshchuk

HIV affects approximately 45 million people worldwide, making it a major ongoing public health challenge. Although antiretroviral therapy has improved the quality of life and survival of patients living with HIV (PWH), ongoing challenges remain with the management of a high level of associated comorbidities and increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Contemporary data indicate an almost 2-fold increased risk of CVD which is usually experienced at a younger age than people without HIV infection. This increased risk is likely related to a complex interplay between immune- and inflammatory-mediated activity with HIV infection, increased cardiovascular risk factors in PWH, antiretroviral therapy–mediated metabolic effects and specific socioeconomic factors observed in this population.

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