Heart of the Issue — In the November 17 online issue of Atherosclerosis, Dr. Robert Kaplan and colleagues examine whether blood cholesterol levels in HIV-positive women predict atherosclerosis, a disease that results from deposits of cholesterol (fats) in the arteries. An ultrasound scan of the carotid arteries of the neck can detect atherosclerosis – this measure was compared in HIV-infected women with different blood cholesterol levels. The researchers found a strong association between higher cholesterol levels and more atherosclerosis among women on HIV medications, but not among women who were not receiving HIV treatment. These results offer important implications for detecting cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among patients with HIV, suggesting that standard blood cholesterol levels may not be an adequate indicator of CVD in untreated HIV infected women. Other Einstein investigators included Dr. Kathryn Anastos and Christina Parrinello who was the paper's lead author. Dr. Kaplan is professor of epidemiology & population health; Dr. Anastos is professor of obstetrics & gynecology and women’s health; and Ms. Parrinello was a research associate in epidemiology & population health.
Posted on: Tuesday, November 27, 2012