Non-invasive cardiovascular imaging: emergence of a powerful tool for early identification of cardiovascular risk in people living with HIV

Publication date: Available online 18 December 2018Source: Canadian Journal of CardiologyAuthor(s): Timothy Ryan, Jacquita S. Affandi, Nestor Gahungu, Girish DwivediABSTRACTAntiretroviral therapy (ART) has been pivotal in prolonging the lifespan of people living with HIV (PLWH). However, this also simultaneously increases their risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease either related to ART, ageing, hypertension, immunosenescence, inflammation, immune activation or other co-morbidities. Although the use of risk markers has greatly enhanced the field of CV medicine and improved the prognosis and early diagnosis in the general population, this strategy has not been clearly elucidated in PLWH. Developing accurate risk algorithms for PLWH requires an innate understanding of mechanistic factors influencing their risks. Early identification of CV risk will significantly enhance the prospects of PLWH living longer and relatively healthily. Herein, we discuss the utilization of multimodality non-invasive CV imaging as robust markers for ameliorating CV risk. The ability to prognosticate CV risk and hence prevent CV events in PLWH would represent an important advance in CV medicine, allowing precise detection and early institution of preventative strategies. Utilizing novel CV imaging modalities and strategies would positively impact precision medicine in this patient cohort.
Source: Canadian Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research