HIV and Cardiovascular Risk

Advances in antiretroviral therapy have led to the expectation that many people living with HIV infection will live for decades. The demographics of the HIV epidemic in the developed world have also shifted in recent years, making older adults an increasing proportion of patients. As a consequence, cardiovascular disease, the major cause of mortality in the general population, has become an important long-term concern in the HIV-infected population as well. Furthermore, there is increasing recognition that HIV and antiretroviral-related factors may contribute to accelerated atherosclerosis in this population. Taken together, these factors suggest that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients will continue to grow in the coming years. There is increasing demand for up-to-date knowledge in the area of cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients. The proposed book, HIV and Cardiovascular Risk (Oxford American Pocket Notes), will target both HIV care-providers and cardiologists who regularly treat HIV-infected patients. HIV care-providers must stay current with cardiac issues that affect their patients, and cardiologists must be aware of HIV-specific factors, including drug-drug interactions between cardiac drugs and antiretrovirals, to provide optimal care to these patients. Part of the Oxford American Pocket Note series, this ultra concise handbook covers the full spectrum of cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients, but also discusses each topic in proportion to its clinical importance. As such, the majority of the book will be devoted to coronary heart disease risk. Other clinically important cardiac conditions are also addressed, including cardiomyopathy, pericardial effusion, endocarditis, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac tumors, and conduction abnormalities. Using the most up-to-date material available, this guide provides ID specialists, cardiologists and other clinicians with an invaluable evidence-based resource in the proper assessment and management of cardiovascular risks in HIV patients. The portable volume includes evidence-based clinical guidance on the latest diagnostic guidelines, laboratory evaluations and cognitive testing for these prevalent disorders. Outstanding features include numerous illustrations of key concepts and pathways as well as summary tables and charts.