B. Purushottam Rao1, V. V. Satyanarayana2, Praneeth3
INTRODUCTION: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome was recognized as an emerging disease only in the early 1980’s. The disease has rapidly established itself throughout the world and may persist well into the 21st century. Infection with human immunodeficiency virus is one of the leading causes of acquired heart disease and specifically of symptomatic heart failure. The cardiac complications of HIV infection tend to occur late in the disease and as patients with HIV infection are living longer, they are at risk of developing chronic diseases including coronary artery disease. Hence, clinicians should identify the risk factors for such disease and also be aware of the various cardiovascular manifestations of HIV infection.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To find out prevalence of cardiac disease by correlating clinical findings and echocardiographic changes in HIV positive patients
MATERIALS AND METHOD: It is an observation type of study done in the Department of Medicine and anti retroviral therapy centre, King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is a Tertiary Care Hospital. Fifty patients who were detected to be HIV positive were included in the study after fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
. RESULTS: In this study, 15 patients constituting 30% of the total patients in the study had echocardiographic changes suggestive of cardiac disease with varied manifestations
CONCLUSION: Prevalence of heart disease increases with the duration of HIV illness. Patients with heart disease can be asymptomatic in early stages of the disease. So, periodic electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluation should be done at regular intervals from the time of diagnosis of HIV disease.
