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Heart disease

Today, HIV medicines help people with HIV live longer and grow older than they once did. As they age, they may have other health problems, such as heart disease, along with HIV.

What you should know about heart disease:

  • Possible causes include:
    • Common risk factors, such as age, being overweight, cigarette smoking, diabetes, and family members with heart disease
    • Long-term HIV infection
    • Higher levels of cholesterol (a fatty substance in the blood). Higher cholesterol increases the chance of getting heart disease
    • High blood pressure
  • You lower your chance of having heart disease when you:
    • Keep your blood pressure low
    • Watch your cholesterol levels
    • Quit smoking
    • Eat healthy foods that are low in salt and fat
    • Are physically active and stay at a healthy body weight. Exercising and losing weight can lower your cholesterol and other blood fat levels
    • Take medicines to lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol and blood fat levels, if needed

HIV medicines can increase blood cholesterol and other blood fats. Be sure to have your blood fat levels checked every 6 to 12 months.

Next >> Kidney disease

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