A report in this month's issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology reveals that the HIV medication ritonavir, sold under the brand name Norvir, has a cytotoxic (toxic to cells) effect on the human body, which researchers say may lead to DNA damage and atherosclerosis (degeneration of the inner layer of the arteries). During their study, researchers with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston discovered that endothelial cell damage varied according to the length of exposure to ritonavir but insisted that the drug "may be associated with cardiovascular complications by the mechanisms of metabolic and endothelial damage."

Furthermore, scientists suggest that the drug's effects on endothelial cells may affect other organs, including the brain and liver. Health officials involved in the study are calling for more research into the side effects of protease inhibitors such as ritonavir.