Evaluation of Cardiovascular Effects of Smoking Cessation in HIV Patients

We will conduct a sub-study of "An Innovative Telephone Intervention for HIV+ Smokers," (NCT00502827) conducted by Drs. Gritz, Vidrine, and others. This is a randomized, prospective trial that will evaluate a cellular phone delivered counseling intervention versus standard of care for smoking cessation. In our sub-study, we will evaluate rates of progression in atherosclerosis in HIV/AIDS patients who quit smoking versus those who continue smoking by measuring carotid intima-media thickness(CIMT) and biomarkers of atherosclerosis at time point baseline, 1 year, and 3 year. The biomarkers measured include high-sensitivity Creactive protein, homocysteine, and IL-6. We will also evaluate rates of progression of CIMT in those who quit smoking versus those who continue smoking, based on race, sex, state of HIV disease, comorbid diseases, and lipid profile.