HIV and stroke
New research has found that HIV increases the risk of stroke.
Doctors found that infection with HIV was associated with a higher risk of stroke, even after taking into account traditional risk factors.
A high viral load was associated with stroke, whereas a viral load below 400 copies/ml was associated with a reduced risk.
A stroke happens when the supply of blood to the brain is blocked or interrupted. When this happens, brain cells die and brain damage starts to occur. This can impair co-ordination, or the ability to speak or move.
It has previously been shown that HIV infection can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack. But its impact on stroke is less clear.
Researchers in the US therefore compared the risk of stroke between 4300 people with HIV and 32,000 HIV-negative people of the same sex and age.
Overall, the people with HIV in the study were approximately 40% more likely to have a stroke than the people who did not have HIV.
Traditional risk factors for stroke – including smoking, having diabetes, or having high blood pressure – were more common in the people with HIV.
After taking this into account, the researchers found that infection with HIV increased the risk of stroke by 20%.
They also found that younger HIV-positive people were much more likely to have a stroke than HIV-negative people of the same age.
Having a higher viral load increased the risk of stroke. Longer duration of HIV treatment was associated with a reduced risk, as was a viral load below 400 copies/ml.
Early HIV treatment is especially recommended for people with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Your risk of cardiovascular disease will be monitored as part of your routine HIV care. This means that potential problems can be spotted early and treatment offered.
There’s also a lot you can do to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. This includes taking regular exercise, eating a healthy diet and stopping smoking. Staff at your HIV clinic and your GP will be able to offer guidance on all these issues.
For more information you can read this news story in full on our website and read or download our factsheet on stroke.
HIV and hepatitis C
Research has found that standard hepatitis C treatment (with the drugs pegylated interferon and ribavirin) can lead to lasting improvements in insulin resistance. This could mean that the long-term risk of diabetes is reduced.
The treatment was found to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the short term.
Many people with HIV also have hepatitis C, often referred to as ‘co-infection’.
The standard treatment for hepatitis C consists of pegylated interferon and ribavirin. This can cure hepatitis C, but it doesn’t always work and can cause unpleasant side-effects.
However, researchers have found that the treatment may have other benefits – improving the way the body processes sugars and fats.
Earlier research had shown that successful treatment lowered cholesterol in people who had hepatitis C but not HIV (‘mono-infection’).
Doctors therefore wanted to see if the treatment had similar benefits for people with hepatitis C and HIV co-infection.
A total of 182 people were included in the research.
The study found that hepatitis C treatment was associated with an improvement in the way the body processes sugar. This was sustained after treatment was finished.
Cholesterol and triglyceride levels also improved during treatment. However, these returned to pre-treatment levels after the completion of therapy.
Doctors are uncertain about the significance of their findings and are calling for further research.
For more information you can read this news story in full on our website and you can read or download our booklet HIV & hepatitis.