Impact of Treatment With Protease Inhibitors on Aortic Stiffness in Adult Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

BACKGROUND—The role of antiretroviral therapy in acceleration of atherosclerosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is controversial. We hypothesized that aortic stiffness, an early marker of arteriosclerosis, may be increased in HIV patients treated with protease inhibitors. METHODS AND RESULTS—In 32 HIV-infected patients treated with protease inhibitors and 32 age-, sex-, and blood pressure–matched HIV-uninfected control subjects, we obtained aortic pulse wave velocity and central aortic pressure waveform, from which aortic augmentation was calculated. HIV patients had a higher aortic pulse wave velocity (7.6±1.1 versus 6.8±1.2 m×s, P=0.015) and aortic augmentation (6.8±5 versus 4.6±4 mm Hg, P=0.037) than control subjects. Age and HIV infection (both P