Cardiovascular disease in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients: A true or perceived risk?

Figure 4 The pathophysiology of human immunodeficiency virus associated atherosclerosis is very complex; a high prevalence of traditional risk factors, direct effects of the human immunodeficiency virus virion and side effects of some the antiretroviral agents, along with yet unknown genetic and epigenetic factors predispose these patients to a high incidence of cardiovascular disease. The impact of anti-retroviral therapy is particularly difficult to estimate since suppression of viral replication may have an anti-atherosclerotic activity (curved arrow with negative sign) while side effect of some antiretroviral drugs may promote atherosclerosis (curved arrow with positive sign). HAART: Highly active antiretroviral therapies; LDL: Low-density lipoprotein; VLDL: Very low-density lipoprotein; HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus.