Metabolic Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Risk in Aging Populations with Chronic HIV Infection

Nasira A. Sitar

Department of Pharmacy Kampala International University Uganda

Satar.nasira@studwc.kiu.ac.ug

                                                                 ABSTRACT
Advances in antiretroviral therapy transformed HIV infection into a chronic condition, resulting in a rapidly growing population of older adults living with HIV who experience a disproportionate burden of metabolic and cardiovascular comorbidities. This review examined the biological mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and therapeutic implications of metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular risk among aging populations with chronic HIV infection. A narrative and critical review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted, synthesizing epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic studies relevant to HIV-associated metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Persistent immune activation, chronic inflammation, antiretroviral therapy–related metabolic effects, and agerelated physiological changes synergistically contributed to insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, visceral adiposity, and accelerated atherosclerosis in older adults with HIV. These abnormalities significantly elevate cardiovascular risk, often exceeding that observed in HIV-negative populations of similar age. Conventional cardiovascular risk prediction tools frequently underestimate risk in this population, complicating clinical management. Metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular disease represented major determinants of morbidity and mortality in aging individuals with chronic HIV infection, necessitating integrated, mechanism-informed prevention and management strategies tailored to this population.

Keywords: HIV aging, Metabolic dysfunction, Cardiovascular risk, Antiretroviral therapy, Chronic inflammation.

CITE AS: Nasira A. Sitar (2026). Metabolic Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Risk in Aging Populations with Chronic HIV Infection. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC AND EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCES, 7(2):44-47. https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJSES/2026/72.4447