Enfermedad arterial periférica e infección por virus inmunodeficiencia humana

Thanks to the introduction of the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) the morbidity-mortality in HIV patients is now lower, and this infection has now become a «chronic disease». Diseases such as arterial atherosclerosis have increased in these patients. There is evidence that HIV infected patients have a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. It may be related to the viral infection and its treatment. We attempt to review the possible high prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in HIV infected patients and the different diagnostic methods. Although there are not enough studies, some of them show a higher prevalence of PAD in HIV+ patients. The diagnostic methods were ankle-brachial index (ABI) and the intima-media thickness for the objective diagnosis and the Edinburgh test for the symptomatic patients.