Cardiovascular risk factors, monitoring, and therapy for HIV-infected patients

Cardiovascular complications are important contributors to morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. These complications can usually be detected at subclinical levels with monitoring, which can help guide targeted interventions. This article reviews available data on types and frequency of cardiovascular manifestations in HIV-infected patients and proposes monitoring strategies aimed at early subclinical detection. In particular, we recommend routine echocardiography for HIV-infected patients, even those with no evidence of cardiovascular disease. We also review preventive and therapeutic cardiovascular interventions. For procedures that have not been studied in HIV-infected patients, we extrapolate from evidence-based guidelines for the general population. (C) 2003 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.