Prevalence of incidental premature cardiac calcifications in an HIV-infected South African population using conventional computed tomography chest radiography
Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Prevalence of incidental premature cardiac calcifications in an HIV-infected South African population using conventional computed tomography chest radiography | |
| Creator | Muller, Luize Sewchuran, Tanusha Durand, Miranda | |
| Description | Background: International literature reported an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease in persons living with HIV (PLWH), inferring an association with accelerated coronary atherosclerosis and plaque formation. Few local studies of HIV-related cardiac disease have confirmed this. Early identification of cardiac plaques would assist clinicians with risk stratification and implementation of treatment strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality. In resource-limited settings the use of conventional computed tomography (CT) may have a role in identifying at-risk individuals.Objectives: This hypothesis-generating study was aimed at determining the contribution of HIV to accelerated vascular aging by assessing cardiac calcifications, incidentally detected on conventional CT chest imaging, in a young HIV-positive population.Method: A retrospective quantitative analysis was performed at a tertiary hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, over a 5-year period. Young patients (18–45 years) who underwent CT chest imaging for varied indications were included, further sub-categorised by immune status, the presence, absence and location of calcifications. Patients with unknown HIV statuses were excluded.Results: An increased probability of cardiac calcification with increasing age, independent of the HIV status, was established. No statistically significant difference could be demonstrated between the cohorts. In the pre-contrasted subcategory, a lower P-value suggested an ‘imminent’ statistical significance. Contrast may have obscured some calcifications. The failure to record the immune status in a large number of patients resulted in their exclusion and limited the study.Conclusion: The increased prevalence of incidentally detected cardiac calcifications in young HIV-infected individuals warrants further evaluation and cardiovascular risk stratification. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2021-05-13 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/sajhivmed.v22i1.1241 | |
| Source | Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine; Vol 22, No 1 (2021); 8 pages 2078-6751 1608-9693 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1241/2438
https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1241/2437
https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1241/2439
https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/1241/2436
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