Ezetimibe significantly lowers LDL cholesterol in patients taking HIV treatment, American researchers report in the October 15th edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. The researchers found that mean LDL cholesterol levels were a “meaningful” 11% lower after six weeks of treatment with the drug.
HIV-positive patients may have an increased risk of heart disease, and it is possible that this is due in part to the increases in LDL cholesterol caused by some antiretroviral drugs.
Many patients treated with antiretrovirals are also taking statins to control their LDL cholesterol. However statins can interact with a number of anti-HIV drugs and also cause side-effects.
Ezetimibe can reduce cholesterol and it is often prescribed along with diet modification or statins to patients with high blood lipids. It is a potentially attractive drug for the treatment of elevated LDL cholesterol in HIV-positive patients because it is not processed by the body in the same way as antiretroviral drugs.
http://www.aidsmap.org/en/news/DF2E4EA4-1866-4A1A-8DF8-6D05E5E30943.asp