Antiretroviral abacavir linked with cardiovascular events in REPRIEVE trial

People with HIV who took the antiretroviral drug abacavir (Ziagen) had an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), according to an exploratory analysis of the REPRIEVE trial presented by the University of Cincinnati's Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, at the International AIDS Conference.

MedPage Today highlighted the findings that past use of abacavir increased the risk of MACE by 50% and current use increased MACE risk by 42%.

"Hopefully, with newer antiretrovirals and longer-acting therapy, perhaps this will become less and less of a problem as we're able to shift away and use other things to control HIV replication," said Fichtenbaum, professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases in the UC College of Medicine.

"Since there are many other options available — certainly in high-income countries — I think we have to consider the fact that the most important thing is controlling HIV replication, but that where we can, it may be helpful to avoid the use of abacavir," Fichtenbaum continued.

Read the MedPage Today article.

Featured photo at top of illustration of cardiovascular system. Photo/magicmine/iStock.