Abstract

Introduction: HIV-positive individuals are more prone to developing cardiovascular disease because of HIV-specific and non-traditional risk factors. This study aimed to describe cardiovascular diseases associated with HIV/AIDS in low-income settings.

Materials and methods: The study conducted at Kamenge Teaching Hospital in Burundi, from January 2022 to December 2023 was a prospective, observational study aimed at providing clinical and descriptive insights into HIV-infected patients receiving ARV medication, focusing on cardiovascular disease, positive HIV serology, and no prior cardiovascular disease.

Results: This study included 38 participants with cardiovascular disease from 115 HIV-infected patients (33.04 %). Our study included 26 (68.42%) women and 12 (31.58%) men. Their mean age was 48.60 ± 11.58 years. Widowhood was associated with cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients in our study, as indicated by the statistical analysis (p = 0.0171, χ2 = 9.6611 for CI = 95%). In our comprehensive study of cardiovascular diseases, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) emerged as the predominant condition, accounting for 34.21% of cases, followed by dilated cardiomyopathy at 28.95%. Valvular heart disease (21.05%), ischemic heart disease (18.42%), hypertension (15.79%), pericarditis (13.16%), and stroke and pulmonary arterial hypertension (7.89%) were also observed. Furthermore, pulmonary embolism and arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy were present in 2.63% of the study participants.

Conclusion: Cardiovascular diseases are diverse among patients with HIV infection. The most prevalent complications were deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs, followed by dilated cardiomyopathy, valvular cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and hypertension, which caused heart failure in young people with severe immunosuppression.