Obesity is associated with higher levels of circulating cytokines involved in the development of cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV.

Obesity in PLWH was associated with activation of systemic inflammatory, endothelial, atherosclerosis and coagulation pathways, rather than those associated with innate immune activation and gut microbial translocation. These pathways point towards an unfavourable cardiovascular profile in PLWH with obesity, which will have to be further explored in future studies on long-term outcomes.