Effects of first antiretroviral regimen on lipid levels in HIV (+) individuals

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effects of different boosted protease inhibitors (bPIs) or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)-based antiretroviral regimens on lipid levels in HIV seropositive individuals who have not received lipid-lowering agents. Methods: Data consisted of 595 patients participating in the population-based Athens Multicenter Cohort Study who were consistently followed up during 1996–2008. Results: In naive patients, lipid parameters increased sharply during the first 3 months of antiretroviral therapy and reached a plateau level approximately 6–9 months after therapy initiation. The plateau levels remained almost stable for up to 3·5 years. In general, bPIs exerted a more pronounced effect compared to NNRTIs. Conclusions: The administration of PI- or NNRTI-based regimens especially in naive but also in unboosted PI experienced patients provoked a sharp increase in lipid levels that remained stable in higher levels for more than 3 years.