[Controversies and future of the approach to cardiovascular disease in HIV patients]

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are an increasing problem in patients with HIV infection. The causes of the increased cardiovascular risk in HIV-infected patients are multifactorial. Currently, the question of which factor has the most weight in this equation - whether traditional risk factors, the virus per se or antiretroviral therapy - remains to be determined. The absolute risk of cardiovascular disease in a particular patient depends on the composite risk profile. At present, there are no data to support a distinct approach to cardiovascular risk evaluation in HIV-infected patients. Cardiovascular risk equations should be incorporated into routine daily clinical assessment in order to identify patients in need of specific interventions.