People who begin antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV with a regimen containing Reyataz (atazanavir) are less likely to experience a heart attack or stroke than those starting regimens containing other ARVs, aidsmap reports.

Publishing their findings in the journal AIDS, researchers analyzed data on 9,500 people with HIV who started ARV treatment between 2003 and 2015 through the U.S. Veterans Affairs health care system.

Bristol-Myers Squibb, which manufactures the protease inhibitor Reyataz, funded the study.

A total of 1,529 of the study cohort members received Reyataz, 2,053 received a different protease inhibitor, 5,307 received a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) and 611 received an integrase inhibitor.

The study had an average follow-up time of 13 months.

After adjusting the data for various factors, the researchers found that those treated with Reyataz had about a 40 percent lower risk of stroke or heart attack compared with those treated with other ARVs. This risk reduction was the most pronounced when comparing Reyataz users with those taking other protease inhibitors and was also significant when comparing those on Reyataz with NNRTI users.

To read the aidsmap article, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.