Key result
In asymptomatic, ART-naïve US Air Force members with early HIV infection, all patients had normal systolic ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain, while 14% showed right ventricular dilatation and 26% showed cardiac remodeling.
Why the study?
People living with HIV face increased cardiovascular disease risk and subclinical echocardiographic abnormalities, but the time to development of these abnormalities after HIV acquisition remains unclear.
Does early HIV infection cause echocardiographic abnormalities in asymptomatic individuals?
Cross-Sectional (n=50)
No
Does early HIV infection cause echocardiographic abnormalities in asymptomatic individuals?
Untreated early HIV infection appears to have a low impact on the development of echocardiographic abnormalities shortly after seroconversion in young, asymptomatic individuals.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Early HIV echocardiographic data are hypothesis-generating; leaves open timing of subclinical abnormalities post-acquisition.
Objective People living with HIV (PLHIV) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and development of subclinical echocardiographic abnormalities. The pathogenicity of HIV induced cardiotoxicity has been described however the time to development of echocardiographic abnormalities after HIV acquisition remains unclear. In this study we describe the echocardiographic evaluations of asymptomatic US Air Force members who were diagnosed with HIV infection. Results Patients (n=50) were predominantly male (96%), mostly black (60%), with a mean age of 28 years. At HIV diagnosis, the mean viral load was 112,585 copies/mL and CD4 count was 551 cells/uL; 2 patients were diagnosed with AIDS. All were found to have normal systolic ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) however evidence of right ventricular dilatation and cardiac remodeling was observed in 7 (14%) and 13 (26%) patients, respectively. Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in echocardiographic findings by HIV disease severity or CVD risk factors (p >0.05 for all). This study suggests that untreated HIV may have a low impact on the development of echocardiographic abnormalities shortly after seroconversion. Longitudinal studies are warranted to determine the optimal CVD risk assessment strategies for PLHIV.
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Alvarado et al. (2019) conducted a cross-sectional in Early HIV infection (n=50). Early HIV infection was evaluated on Echocardiographic abnormalities including systolic ejection fraction, global longitudinal strain, right ventricular dilatation, and cardiac remodeling. In asymptomatic, ART-naïve US Air Force members with early HIV infection, all patients had normal systolic ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain, while 14% showed right ventricular dilatation and 26% showed cardiac remodeling.
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