Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
AIDS electrocardiogram
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Cardiac abnormalities observed in patients with HIV include pericardial effusion, myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and/or endocardial involvement at any stage of the disease. On ECG, patients may exhibit increased heart rate, prolonged QT interval, and non-specific ST-T changes.
Electrocardiogram findings
Electrocardiogram findings
Two-thirds of patients with AIDS have significant cardiac abnormalities on autopsy, although these findings may be obscured by the more severe findings in other organ systems. Cardiac abnormalities observed in patients with HIV include pericardial effusion, myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and/or endocardial involvement at any stage of the disease.[1] On ECG, the following changes may develop as a patient progresses from early HIV to late stage AIDS:
- Increased heart rate
- Prolonged QT interval
- Non-specific ST segment/T wave changes[2]
References
References
- ↑ Milei J, Grana D, Fernández Alonso G, Matturri L (1998). “Cardiac involvement in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome–a review to push action. The Committee for the Study of Cardiac Involvement in AIDS”. Clin Cardiol. 21 (7): 465–72. PMID 9669054.
- ↑ Okeahialam BN, Sani MU (2006). “Heart disease in HIV/AIDS. How much is due to cachexia?”. Afr J Med Med Sci. 35 Suppl: 99–102. PMID 18050781.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-in-Chief: Ujjwal Rastogi, MBBS [2]; Ammu Susheela, M.D. [3]