One Study Says Norvir Poses the Highest Risk for Lipid Increases

A study involving more than 7,700 HIV-positive patients in North America, Europe, and Australia shows that the protease inhibitor Norvir and Norvir-boosted drug regimens are more likely to increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels than other anti-HIV drugs. The study, presented at the Sixth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection, calculated the effects of Viracept, Crixivan, Fortovase, Agenerase, Norvir, dual protease inhibitor regimens, and a boosted protease regimen containing Norvir on cholesterol elevations, levels of HDL'or good'cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Patients taking Norvir and Norvir-boosted regimens were the most likely to have significant total cholesterol and triglyceride increases, and were about as likely as those taking other protease drugs to experience drops in good cholesterol.