Beta blockers ‘potentially harmful’ in patients with HIV
RAAS inhibitors may be the best option for lowering blood pressure in this population, researchers say
Patients living with HIV who have hypertension are nearly twice as likely to have a cardiovascular event if initiated on beta blockers compared with ACEIs or ARBs, a study shows.
The findings, based on real-world data from the US, show for the first time which agents have greatest efficacy among HIV-positive people and that beta blockers can be harmful, the researchers say.
Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically improved the lifespan of those living with HIV, it has also been linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, they noted.
Clinicians at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, compared the risk of CVD, heart failure and death among 8000 veterans with HIV (mean age 53), based on antihypertensive class.
