A large, prospective study confirms the frequency of dilated cardiomyopathy in HIV-infected adults and demonstrates high rates of immunologic and infectious heart disease.
Cardiovascular abnormalities, including dilated cardiomyopathy, are common in HIV-infected patients and require early diagnosis to apply preventive and therapeutic strategies.
In this issue of the Journal, Barbaro and colleagues present the results of a large, prospective study of dilated cardiomyopathy in adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.1 This study confirms the frequency of dilated cardiomyopathy in HIV-infected patients and demonstrates high rates of immunologic and infectious heart disease. Cardiovascular abnormalities are common in HIV-infected patients,27 are often difficult to diagnose clinically, and are frequently attributed incorrectly to dysfunction in other organ systems. If these abnormalities are diagnosed early through screening, preventive and therapeutic strategies for progressive left ventricular dysfunction can be applied.6 Dilated cardiomyopathy in HIV-infected patients is . . .
Steven E. Lipshultz (1998) conducted an editorial in Dilated cardiomyopathy in HIV infection. HIV infection was evaluated. A large, prospective study confirms the frequency of dilated cardiomyopathy in HIV-infected adults and demonstrates high rates of immunologic and infectious heart disease.