HIV-Related Atherosclerosis: State-of-the-Art-Review

Abstract

The infection caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has spread rapidly across the globe, assuming the characteristics of an epidemic in some regions. Thanks to the introduction of antiretroviral therapy into routine clinical practice, there was a considerable breakthrough in the treatment of HIV, that is now HIV is potentially well-controlled even in low-income countries. To date, HIV infection has moved from the group of life-threatening conditions to the group of chronic and well controlled ones and the quality of life and life expectancy of HIV⁺ people, with an undetectable viral load is closer to that of an HIV^- people. However, unsolved issues still persist. For example: people living with HIV are more prone to the age-related diseases, especially atherosclerosis. For this reason, a better understanding of the mechanisms of HIV-associated destabilization of vascular homeostasis seems to be an urgent duty, that may lead to the development of new protocols, bringing the possibilities of pathogenetic therapies to a new level. The purpose of the article was to evaluate the pathological aspects of HIV-induced atherosclerosis.