Objectives: To evaluate the occurrence of ventricular systolic dysfunction in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
Background: 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.
Methods: 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).
Results: 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).
Conclusions: Patients with HIV-related PAH have more prevalent and severe ventricular systolic dysfunction compared to patients with PAH from other aetiologies.
Keywords: Human immunodeficiency virus; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pulmonary hypertension; Ventricular function.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.