New study shows HIV-infected women not using statins as recommended

A new study has shown that HIV-infected women do not use statins as recommended by the most recent guidelines. Control of blood lipid levels to prevent heart disease is especially important in HIV-positive women, and they may also benefit from the potential anti-inflammatory effects of statins, as described in an article published in AIDS Patient Care and STDs.

In the article entitled "Underutilization of Statins When Indicated in HIV-Seropositive and Seronegative Women," Jonathan Todd, PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a national team of coauthors evaluated the use of statins by both HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected in whom their use is indicated. Statin use 5 years after indicated was low for both groups of women, with a rate of 38% for HIV-infected women. New guidelines for statin use released in 2013 increased the percentage of HIV-infected women for whom use is recommended from 16% to 45%.

"Despite the fact that HIV-infected in the U.S. may have greater contact with healthcare providers than uninfected individuals of the same age, that is not reflected in consideration of their cardiac health," says Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Laurence, MD, Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY. "This is clearly an important message as a major impediment to reaching a normal lifespan for HIV-positive individuals may be acceleration of disorders associated with aging, particularly cardiovascular disease."

More information: Jonathan V. Todd et al. Underutilization of Statins When Indicated in HIV-Seropositive and Seronegative Women, AIDS Patient Care and STDs (2017). DOI: 10.1089/apc.2017.0145

Journal information: AIDS Patient Care and STDs
Citation: New study shows HIV-infected women not using statins as recommended (2017, December 7) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-12-hiv-infected-women-statins.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

HIV-positive adults are under-treated for cardiovascular problems compared to those without HIV

0 shares

Feedback to editors