Some Meds Do Not Fully Lower Lipid Levels

Treating antiretroviral-related increases in blood lipid levels with lipid-lowering medications does not fully correct hyperlipidemia, according to a study presented at the 44th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in 245 HIV patients did drop at the three- and six-month marks, but most of the patients studied did not reach a target goal of counts below 200, according to the study. Only slight increases in HDL'or good'cholesterol were reported, while LDL'or bad'cholesterol dropped at the three-month mark but had begun to rise again three months later. 'After six months of lipid-lowering therapy, this cohort trended toward a decline in total cholesterol and triglyceride, but few achieved National Cholesterol Education Program goals. Further study is necessary to assess individual cardiac risk and identify factors that will enable these patients to achieve lipid goals,' the researchers conclude.