In episode 56 of Going anti-Viral, Dr Steven Grinspoon joins host Dr Michael Saag to discuss managing cardiovascular health in people with HIV. Dr Grinspoon is a clinician in the Neuroendocrine and Pituitary Tumor Clinical Center and faculty member at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is a clinical researcher who studies hypothalamic control of body weight and fat distribution in obesity and lipodystrophy with a focus on the metabolic and cardiovascular consequences of visceral fat accumulation. Dr Grinspoon provides an overview of cardiovascular disease in people with HIV including a review of the REPRIEVE study that evaluated if statin medication is effective to prevent heart disease among people with HIV. Dr Saag and Dr Grinspoon detail the REPRIEVE study results demonstrating that statins lower baseline low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and discuss the cardiovascular health benefits of lowering LDL cholesterol levels. They discuss arterial plaque, how it is measured and whether plaque can regress individuals on statins. Finally, Dr Saag and Dr Grinspoon discuss goals for follow-up studies to REPRIEVE and other studies looking into the benefits of statins in other populations.

0:00 – Introduction

1:28 – Overview of cardiovascular disease in people with HIV 

3:23 – Overview of the REPRIEVE study, which evaluated if statin medication is effective to prevent heart disease among people with HIV

10:51 – REPRIEVE study results lowering baseline LDL cholesterol                       

13:26 – Follow-up studies in people who do not have HIV

16:20 – How plaque is measured in the arteries

19:40 – Regression of plaque in patients using statins

 21:15 – Top goals for follow-up studies to REPRIEVE

Resources:

 REPRIEVE Study: https://www.reprievetrial.org/ 

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Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

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