Researchers found that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is also associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction, or heart attack. 
The study found that while rates of several cardiovascular risk factors were also increased in study participants infected with HIV, the increased incidence of heart attack was beyond what could be explained by risk factor differences.
The research team from Harvard Medical School, led by Associate Professor of Medicine Dr. Steven Grinspoon used demographic and diagnostic data for more than 1.7 million patients for their study. All the Patients treated at MGH and Brigham and Women’s Hospital since 1993.
The researchers analysed the data and compared outcomes for the nearly 4,000 HIV-infected patients with information on the remaining more than 1 million patients. The HIV-infected patients were aged between 18 and 84 years.
Grinspoon said in a statement:
Our study shows a higher incidence of myocardial infarction and major cardiovascular risk factors in HIV-infected patients, compared with non-infected patients.
The findings indicate that those infected with HIV should be assessed for cardiovascular risk factors.
The study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
