As more people live longer with HIV, managing other health conditions is increasingly important. Research presented at the recent Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2026) in Denver covered a wide range of issues – from new obesity drugs and cardiovascular risk to transplant outcomes and stimulant drug use. Here are five highlights.
GLP-1 weight-loss medications appear to work well for people living with HIV and may offer benefits beyond weight loss – including improvements in liver health, cardiovascular risk, gut integrity and even smoking cessation. A plenary talk by Dr Todd Brown reviewed the growing body of evidence, while several real-world studies confirmed that semaglutide and tirzepatide produce meaningful weight loss in people with HIV. Brown concluded that the enthusiasm for this drug class is rational – but that current prices are putting the drugs out of reach for most of the world.
Oropharyngeal cancer – cancer of the back of the mouth and throat, often caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) – is becoming more common in people with HIV, especially heterosexual men. A large North American cohort study found that the incidence nearly tripled between 2000 and 2020. Heterosexual men with HIV had the highest rates – 50% higher than gay and bisexual men. A history of low CD4 cell counts was a key risk factor, underlining the importance of prompt HIV diagnosis and treatment.
Statins don’t just lower cholesterol – they also appear to reduce blood pressure in people with HIV. A secondary analysis of the landmark REPRIEVE trial found that participants offered daily pitavastatin were significantly less likely to develop high blood pressure. That matters because people with HIV who did develop hypertension during the study were twice as likely to go on to have a heart attack, stroke or other major cardiovascular event. The findings reinforce the case for statins to reduce cardiovascular risk in people with HIV.
People with HIV who received liver transplants had outcomes comparable to those without HIV after up to 15 years of follow-up, according to a Spanish study. Researchers compared outcomes among 85 people with HIV and 255 matched controls who had transplants between 2003 and 2012. Graft survival, patient survival and rates of complications were similar between the groups – showing that HIV should not be a barrier to transplant when it is clinically indicated.
Stimulant drug use, particularly methamphetamine (crystal meth), can seriously undermine HIV treatment adherence – but a new app-based intervention may help. The app integrates cognitive behavioural tools, medication reminders and peer support. Gay and bisexual men with HIV who had problems with stimulants and were given the app had 58% lower odds of having a detectable viral load after six months compared with a control group, although the impact was not maintained to 12 months.
