US Pharm. 2015;40(6):HS-42.
The diabetes drug sitagliptin (Januvia) may have benefits beyond lowering blood glucose in patients with HIV. A new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that the drug may prevent cardiovascular problems because it works to reduce inflammation linked to heart disease and stroke.
Even though infection with HIV is no longer a death sentence, patients with the virus have a higher risk of heart attacks and diabetes, and problems with glucose, insulin, and cholesterol—issues that partly result from chronic inflammation.
In the new study, the researchers found that sitagliptin improved metabolism and reduced inflammation in HIV-positive adults taking antiretroviral therapy. The findings are published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
