Hiv Patients | Researchers Show Aids Patients Treated With Ziagen Are At Higher
In a recently published study, scientists have found an association between Ziagen (abacavir) usage and impaired endothelial function. The study, which was published in AIDS, the official journal of the International AIDS Society, showed that patients who used Ziagen had lower flow-mediated dilation (FMD) than those who did not.
The endothelium is the lining found inside blood vessels. This lining controls expansion and contraction (vasodilation and vasoconstriction) of blood vessels by interacting with the smooth muscle that surrounds them.
Problems with endothelial function, such as the inability of an artery to sustain adequate blood flow, are indicators of atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque inside arteries). Since heart attacks occur when blood flow to a certain part of the heart is blocked, impaired endothelial function can serve as an indicator of heart attack risk.
Generally, HIV patients tend to have an increa
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