With an estimated 33.2 million people in the world infected with the virus, HIV is a major medical problem. With medical treatment, people with HIV now survive a much longer period of time. However, it has become clear that people with HIV are at a higher risk of having a heart attack compared to people without HIV. We would like to find out if certain HIV medications may reduce the risk of heart attack better than others.
Aim 1
The purpose of this study is to see if switching to atazanavir will improve blood vessel function. Atazanavir is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV. Studying blood vessel function is a method that investigators use to understand if a treatment may reduce the chances of a heart attack. We would also like to find out if atazanavir improves the ability of cells in your body to use blood sugar for energy and reduce inflammation (a response of body tissues to injury or irritation), and free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some diseases. At high levels, free radicals can cause cell damage. Each of these items has been linked to poor blood vessel function and a higher risk of heart attack. We will study blood vessel function and the other items that may disturb it. We will compare subjects taking atazanavir and ritonavir to subjects taking a non-atazanavir based therapy.
Aim 2
The purpose of this study is to find out if subjects taking atazanavir for more than 6 months have better blood vessel function and lower levels of free radicals. Studying blood vessel function is a method that investigators use to understand if a treatment may reduce the chances of a heart attack. Free radicals are responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some diseases. At high levels, free radicals can cause cell damage. We will compare subjects currently taking atazanavir for more than 6 months to subjects on non-atazanavir HIV regimens.
You may be eligible to participate in this research study if you:
- HIV positive
- Are ≥ 45 years old
- Currently take Atripla or Truvada plus a third medication for HIV
If you or someone you know may be interested in participating, click here.
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