Several studies have shown that people with HIV are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Factors that account for that increase risk include some of the treatments that are used in suppressing the virus. Several of the medications used result in an increase in cholesterol, and for that reason, we check cholesterol on a routine basis in all patients with HIV. Additional tests done are ApoB and hsCRP. ApoB is a protein that is correlated with elevated levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. hsCRP (high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein) is a measure of inflammation in the body and is likewise correlated with an increased risk of heart attack. The deposition of cholesterol in the arteries is initiated by inflammation. Since HIV, like all infections, results in inflammation as a consequence of the immune system doing its job in trying to control the infection, we measure the hsCRP to get an estimate of the amount of inflammation that is contributing to blockage of the arteries.