hiv & heart attack

Hi Anon,

Thanks for sharing your question with the EmpowHER community!

A few years ago, the University of California San Francisco did a study on patients with HIV and their likelihood of having a heart attack. They discovered that patients with HIV/AIDS suffered from sudden heart attacks at a rate four times higher than those who did not have the condition.

This study helped doctors become more aware that they need to consider this issue with their patients who have HIV.

"Researchers believe HIV changes the electrophysiology of the heart in a way so pronounced that it causes conduction abnormalities. And many HIV medications can throw off the heart’s electrical cycle, which increases the risk of sudden death. These and other variables could be contributing factors," UCSF reported. You can read the full article here: http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2012/05/16888/are-people-hiv-aids-more-prone-su...

Lifestyle changes like diet, stopping smoking and exercise can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. It's also important to keep in mind the risk of heart attack of HIV patients when thinking of switching treatment. Talk to your doctor about your different treatment options and discuss which ones will have the least effect on your heart.

I hope this helps! Let me know if I can help with anything else.

Best,
Erin