Qtc interval prolongation in patients with HIV and AIDS

A higher prevalence of QT prolongation has been reported among HIV/AIDS patients, possibly related to drugs prescribed for them or to an acquired form of long QT syndrome. A prolonged QTc is a predictor of cardiovascular mortality. We set out to study this interval in a group of AIDS patients. One-h...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the National Medical Association 2005-12, Vol.97 (12), p.1657-1661
Main Authors: SANI, Mahmoud U, OKEAHIALAM, Basil N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - complications
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - physiopathology
Adolescent
Adult
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active - adverse effects
Biological and medical sciences
Cardiovascular Diseases - mortality
Case-Control Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
General aspects
HIV Infections - complications
HIV Infections - drug therapy
HIV Infections - physiopathology
Hospitals, Teaching
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infectious diseases
Long QT Syndrome - etiology
Long QT Syndrome - physiopathology
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Nigeria - epidemiology
Prevalence
Protease Inhibitors - adverse effects
Risk Factors
Tachycardia, Ventricular - chemically induced
Time Factors
Viral diseases
Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A higher prevalence of QT prolongation has been reported among HIV/AIDS patients, possibly related to drugs prescribed for them or to an acquired form of long QT syndrome. A prolonged QTc is a predictor of cardiovascular mortality. We set out to study this interval in a group of AIDS patients. One-hundred consecutive AIDS patients admitted into the Jos University Teaching Hospital and who satisfied the inclusion criteria were recruited. All were evaluated for symptomatology of cardiovascular disease and had a 12-lead surface electrocardiogram recording. QT interval, taken from the onset of the QRS complex to the end of the T wave, was corrected for heart rate. Eighty HIV-negative, healthy persons and 78 HIV-positive, asymptomatic subjects were used as controls. Forty-five percent of the AIDS patients had prolonged QTc interval. Prolonged QTc was present in 28% of HIV-positive controls and 10% of HIV-negative controls. The mean QTc interval differs significantly between the AIDS patients and the two control groups. From our study, Nigerian HIV-positive asymptomatic subjects have higher prevalence of QTc prolongation compared to HIV-negative subjects and, as they move to AIDS, the prevalence of QTc prolongation increases. This makes for increased cardiovascular mortality.
ISSN:0027-9684
1943-4693