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Updated: May 2, 2026
Evaluation of Left Ventricular Structure and Function using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Prospective echocardiographic assessment of cardiac structure and function in Chinese persons living with HIV
Ling Luo1, Yong Zeng, Taisheng Li
1Department of Infectious Disease.
Insights
People with HIV have more cardiac issues like diastolic dysfunction. Antiretroviral therapy did not change these abnormalities over 48 weeks. Further studies are needed.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) face elevated risks for cardiovascular disease.
- Echocardiographic abnormalities in persons living with HIV (PLWH) remain understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities, including left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), diastolic dysfunction (DD), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and increased left ventricular mass (ILVM).
- To evaluate changes in these abnormalities after initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in ART-naive PLWH.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, multicenter cohort study (China AIDS Clinical Trial 0810) involving 325 ART-naive PLWH.
- Echocardiography was performed at baseline and 48 weeks after ART initiation.
- Comparisons were made with age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
Main Results:
- PLWH exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of diastolic dysfunction (DD) compared to controls (16.5% vs 7.2%).
- A marginally significant higher prevalence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) was noted in PLWH (7.3% vs 2.1%).
- No significant changes in echocardiographic abnormalities were observed after 48 weeks of ART.
Conclusions:
- ART-naive PLWH have a significantly higher prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities.
- HIV infection is a significant risk factor for cardiac abnormalities.
- ART did not lead to significant improvements in echocardiographic parameters within 48 weeks, suggesting a need for long-term studies.
Background:
Persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Few studies have focused on echocardiographic abnormalities in this population.
Methods:
China AIDS Clinical Trial 0810 is a prospective, multicenter cohort study of persons living with HIV (PLWH). We performed an echocardiography substudy of 325 PLWH. We examined the prevalence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), diastolic dysfunction (DD), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and increased left ventricular mass (ILVM) in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive PLWH at baseline and week 48 after initiation of ART.
Results:
Compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls, PLWH had a higher prevalence of DD (16.5% vs 7.2%, P < .027) and a marginally significant higher prevalence of LVSD (7.3% vs 2.1%, P = .056). The increase in the prevalence of DD from baseline to week 48 in PLWH was marginally significant (P = .056). No significant difference was observed in the prevalence of LVSD, PAH, or ILVM at baseline and week 48 in PLWH. In logistic regression analysis of all participants, age was significantly associated with LVSD; HIV infection, age, and hypertension were associated with DD whereas HIV infection and hypertension were associated with ILVM at baseline. Logistic regression analysis of PLWH showed that only age was significantly associated with LVSD and DD.
Conclusions:
The prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities was significantly higher in ART-naive PLWH than in controls. HIV infection was significantly associated with cardiac abnormalities. No significant change in echocardiographic abnormalities was observed after 48 weeks of ART. Longer-term prospective studies are warranted.
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