Clinical Study of Cardiac Autonomic Dysfunction in Hiv Patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular autonomic nervous dysfunction has been demonstrated to severely debilitate HIV infected patients, namely by postural hypotension and syncopes It has important implication in health care of HIV patients. METHODS: 50 patients (25 HIV +ve without AIDS and 25 HIV+ with AIDS) who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria and 50 healthy matched controls were enrolled in the study. Autonomic function was assessed by batteries of autonomic function tests. RESULTS: In the present study 16% of HIV +ve with the AIDS had abnormal autonomic dysfunction and 4% of HIV positive without AIDS had abnormal autonomic dysfunction. Abnormalities in autonomic function occurred at all levels of CD4 counts. More number of abnormal results was found below 200 CD4 range. But the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Cardiac autonomic nervous dysfunction is a common and relevant clinical problem it is significantly affected in both HIV positive without AIDS and HIV positive with AIDS groups. It may provide an alternative explanation for symptoms commonly observed in HIV infected individuals such as bowel and bladder dysfunction, impotence, syncope and sweating abnormalities.