Arushi Bidhuri
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HIV Patients At 68 Per Cent Higher Risk Of Developing Heart Failure; Look Out For These Symptoms
Cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term for a group of disorders of the heart and blood, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). According to WHO, over 75 per cent of CVD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with high blood pressure being one of the most significant risk factors for CVDs.
While there are many risk factors that can up your risk of heart failure, those who have the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, are more likely to have heart disease.
A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that people with HIV are at a higher risk of developing heart failure than those without the disease. As per the study results, people with HIV were at 68 per cent higher risk of heart failure as compared to those who did not have HIV, or those aged 40 or younger, female or of Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry having the highest risk.
Senior author of the study Michael J. Silverberg, PhD, MPH, a research scientist and HIV epidemiologist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. "Most of the research in this area has focused on the risk of stroke and heart attacks. With this study, we now see the cardiovascular impacts for people with HIV extend to end-stage conditions such as heart failure."
For the study, the researchers studied the data of 38,868 people with HIV between 2000 and 2016 in 3 different regions in America. They then matched each participant with up to ten Kaiser Permanente members from the same region who were the same age, gender, and race but did not have HIV; the total number of people in this group was 386,586. Finally, during follow-up, they identified the persons in both groups who had acquired heart failure.
"In women, preliminary data suggest HIV may have a greater impact on their cardiac function than it does in men, due in part to hormonal regulation and enhanced myocardial fibrosis, but that needs to be investigated further," said study author Alan S. Go, MD, senior research at the Division of Research.
The study also found that patients with HIV had a higher risk of heart failure not because they had more risk factors for heart disease or because they had more heart attacks. In fact, those without HIV had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors, according to Dr Go.
When the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should, it causes heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure. When this happens, blood can back up in the lungs and fluid can build up, causing shortness of breath. Certain cardiac disorders, such as restricted arteries in the heart (coronary artery disease) or high blood pressure, cause the heart to weaken or stiffen over time, making it unable to effectively fill and pump blood.
Heart failure can be long-term or sudden. Some common signs and symptoms of heart failure include:
(with inputs from agencies)