Ventricular Ectopy and Arrhythmia Characteristics for Persons Living with HIV and Uninfected Controls.

BACKGROUND

Persons with HIV have elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, but little is known about the risk of ventricular ectopy and ventricular tachycardia (VE/VT) for HIV-infected (HIV+) persons.

METHODS

We evaluated the presence and anatomic origin of VE/VT for HIV+ persons and controls by screening a cohort using International Classification of Diseases codes and adjudicating positive screens by chart review. We sought to evaluate (1) presence of VE/VT and (2) likely anatomic origin of the VE/VT based on electrocardiogram.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the prevalence of VE/VT for HIV+ or uninfected persons. Among HIV+ persons, worse HIV control was associated with significantly greater odds of VE/VT. Exploratory analyses suggested that HIV+ persons may have a greater likelihood of VE/VT originating from the left ventricle.

CONCLUSION

Although worse HIV control was associated with higher odds of VE/VT among persons with HIV, odds of VE/VT were not higher for persons with HIV than uninfected persons.