Use Statins or Switch to a Nonnuke?

Although lowering antiretroviral-related high blood-lipid levels can be achieved either by switching from protease inhibitor'based therapy to a nonnucleoside drug or by adding lipid-lowering statin drugs to the mix, a study by researchers in Italy says the statin drugs could be a better choice. Reporting in the July 1 edition of the journal AIDS, they say that after one year of treatment with statin medications, study subjects posted a 41% triglyceride decrease when taking Pravachol and 47% for those taking bezafibrate. By comparison, lipid levels fell only 25% after one year for HIV patients who switched from a protease inhibitor to Viramune and 9% for those switching to Sustiva. Cholesterol levels also had a significantly greater decrease among study subjects adding lipid-lowering drugs to their regimens.