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Abacavir and Cardiovascular Risk: Reviewing the Evidence

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Abstract

Since the presentation of the D:A:D study results at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in February 2008, 10 studies have explored the association between exposure to abacavir and the risk of myocardial infarction. Among the five larger studies, three conclude that there is an association and two that the association is not robust. Based on these studies, it is impossible to refute or confirm a causal relationship, as it is not possible to exclude remaining confounding (smoking in two of the studies, kidney function in two of the studies, cocaine and/or intravenous drug use) and selection bias in studies that report a robust association. In addition, no convincing mechanism has been described.

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References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Disclosure

Dr. Mary-Krause has received honoraria from GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Boccara has received lecture fees from Gilead Sciences. Dr. Costagliola has received travel grants, consultancy fees, honoraria, or study grants from various pharmaceutical companies, including Abbott, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Merck Sharp & Dohme-Chibret, and Roche.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR S 943, UPMC Univ-Paris 6, Paris, F75013, France

    Dominique Costagliola, Sylvie Lang & Murielle Mary-Krause

  2. Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, APHP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, F75013, France

    Dominique Costagliola

  3. Department of Cardiology, Saint Antoine Hospital, Univ-Paris 6, AP-HP, Paris, France

    Franck Boccara

  4. INSERM, UMR S 938, Faculté de Médecine Saint Antoine, F-75012, Paris, France

    Franck Boccara

  5. UMR S 943, INSERM, 56 Bd V Auriol, BP 335, 75625, Paris Cedex 13, France

    Dominique Costagliola, Sylvie Lang & Murielle Mary-Krause

  6. Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris and Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Cardiology Department, Saint-Antoine University and Medical School, 184, rue du faubourg St-Antoine, 75571, Paris Cedex 12, France

    Franck Boccara

Authors
  1. Dominique Costagliola
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  2. Sylvie Lang
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  3. Murielle Mary-Krause
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  4. Franck Boccara
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Correspondence to Dominique Costagliola.

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Costagliola, D., Lang, S., Mary-Krause, M. et al. Abacavir and Cardiovascular Risk: Reviewing the Evidence. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 7, 127–133 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-010-0047-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-010-0047-3

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