Prevalence and severity of ventricular dysfunction in patients with HIV-related pulmonary arterial hypertension

To evaluate the occurrence of ventricular systolic dysfunction in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Patients with HIV-related PAH may develop ventricular systolic dysfunction both as a consequence of PAH progression or of the myocardial involvement from the HIV infection itself.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was applied to measure ejection fraction for the left ventricle and the right ventricle in patients with HIV-related PAH (n = 27) and in patients with PAH from other aetiologies (n = 115).

In HIV-related PAH, ejection fraction values were lower and a higher proportion of patients presented with an advanced stage of ventricular dysfunction (55% vs. 25%; p = 0.009). In a multivariate model, PAH related to HIV infection remained independently associated with advanced ventricular dysfunction (p = 0.011).

Patients with HIV-related PAH have more prevalent and severe ventricular systolic dysfunction compared to patients with PAH from other aetiologies.