Management of cardiovascular diseases in HIV/AIDS patients

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a pandemic in the current population causes severe weakness of the body's immune system making the infected patient more vulnerable to life-threatening conditions. The disease predisposes the infected patient to several cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases such as heart failure and stroke. The decline in CD4 cells following HIV infection, vulnerability to opportunistic infections and underlying HIV pathology plays a major role in the development of cardiovascular manifestations, and treatment targeting cardiomyopathy in this specific patient subset is not well recognized. Patients living with HIV (PLWH) also experience discrimination in receiving cardiovascular disease care and this needs to be addressed by strengthening frameworks for monitoring and providing nonjudgmental healthcare. This review aims to study the profile of the cardiovascular disease in HIV patients, treatment, and provide evidence of the disparity in the provision of healthcare with regard to PLWH.