other conditions present with HIV that appear to be strongly linked to high blood pressure.
Because their immune system is constantly active, people with HIV have chronic inflammation in their arteries, which may make them stiff and enlarged, said Fahme, whose research includes high blood pressure in HIV patients in Tanzania.
In addition, antiretroviral medications appear to trigger conditions that lead to inflammation. Yet people who have been able to suppress the virus to the point where doctors can’t detect it also suffer from inflammation, Fahme said.
And chronic inflammation also may be linked to gut bacteria, the scientists said in their review.
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Research has shown HIV attacks cells in the intestinal wall, creating holes in the lining that allow bacteria to get through it, Fahme and her colleagues said in their article. That possibly creates “a complex relationship between hypertension, the gut microbiome, and immune activation.”
A kidney condition linked to high blood pressure appears to be four times greater in people with HIV and also may be linked to chronic inflammation, according to the new study. People with HIV appear to have much higher rates of the condition characterized by high levels of a protein found in urine.
Studies also suggest HIV-related high cholesterol may lead to high blood pressure. In turn, the researchers in the new study say lipid disorders in people with HIV may be linked to
