Conditions: HIV Infections
Keywords: Cardiovascular Disease HIV Infection Abacavir Artery Elasticity Treatment experienced
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 27
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Recent research as suggested that use of the HIV medication abacavir (Ziagen, or co-formulated with lamivudine as Epzicom) may increase risk for heart disease, though findings from multiple studies have been inconsistent. This pilot study will examine vascular function, a marker of heart disease risk, among patients taking abacavir as part of their HIV medications and are then randomized to: 1) switch to tenofovir, another HIV medication, or 2) continue to take abacavir.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Participants randomized to this arm will continue abacavir and their other HIV medications with no changes arm 2: Participants randomized to this arm will switch from taking abacavir (co-formulated with lamivudine as Epzicom) and start taking tenofovir (co-formulated with emtricitabine as Truvada), and continue their other HIV medications

Interventions: intervention 1: Tenofovir disoproxil
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Participants taking an abacavir-based HIV treatment regimen will be randomized to switch to a tenofovir-based regimen or continue taking abacavir.

Protocol document: