Tuberculosis infection is associated with significant cardiovascular complications, most commonly pericarditis, but also including myocarditis, aortitis, and an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Tuberculosis has multisystemic involvement that can lead to severe cardiovascular complications, necessitating a high index of suspicion and holistic management.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a dominant cause of mortality from a single infectious disease agent. It is a global health issue that has been tagged as a public health emergency for decades. The disease process, which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), affects the respiratory system as well as many other organ systems in the body, such as the lymphatic system, central nervous system (CNS), gastrointestinal system, and cardiovascular system (CVS). Generally, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, with most of the mortality in low and middle-income countries. Also, the high mortality rate of TB is skewed to these regions, making the mortality of TB with CVS involvement exceptionally high. The multisystemic involvement of TB impacts the cardiovascular system in various forms. While pericarditis caused by TB is quite common, other complications like myocarditis, coronary artery disease, and aortitis are rarer, necessitating a high index of suspicion and holistic management. This article reviews the pathophysiology of cardiovascular complications in TB, highlighting mechanisms of occurrence, common complications, management protocols, and prognostic factors. Our review highlights some of the gaps in understanding cardiovascular complications in TB, necessitating further research to investigate causal mechanisms and treatment.
Adefuye et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Tuberculosis and Cardiovascular Complications. Tuberculosis was evaluated. Tuberculosis infection is associated with significant cardiovascular complications, most commonly pericarditis, but also including myocarditis, aortitis, and an increased risk of coronary heart disease.