Low CD4 cell count associated with heart attack in patients with HIV

aidsmap: "“We demonstrate that decreased CD4 cell count is significantly associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction and is second only to hypertension in terms of its effect size as a risk factor”, comment the investigators. They add that a CD4 cell count below 200 cells/mm3 was a much more important risk factor for heart attack than treatment with any antiretroviral drug. Indeed, the investigators failed to find a significant relationship between any antiretroviral and an increased risk of heart attack."