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Glossary

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Atherosclerosis refers to a narrowing or hardening of large and medium sized arteries.

The narrowing is caused by a build-up of plaque, and usually takes many years.

As the walls of the artery thicken, the heart has to work harder to pump the same amount of blood through a narrower gap.

retrovirus – a family of viruses that includes HIV.

mega-HAART – a term for a drug combination that uses five or more HIV drugs, usually including 2–3 protease inhibitors. Rarely used now.

in-vivo – a study carried out in humans.

side effect – an unwanted effect from taking a medicine. Sometimes called an adverse event or drug toxicity.