Coronary artery distensibility is impaired in HIV patients without significant coronary atherosclerosis

Background HIV infection is associated with an increased likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD) and related events, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Reduced coronary distensibility (CD) may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and is present in CAD patients. While aortic distensibility (AD) is known to be reduced in HIV, CD in HIV patients has not been studied. We tested the hypothesis that CD is reduced in HIV patients, even before the development of CAD, and that the reduction in CD correlates with changes in AD, reflecting diffuse changes in vascular material properties in HIV+ patients.