The Impact of Antiretroviral Therapy on Electrocardiographic Parameters in Human Immundeficiency Virus-Positive Patients

Background

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has revolutionized the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by transforming it into a chronic but manageable condition. Despite its effectiveness in viral suppression and immune restoration, concerns remain regarding ART's potential impact on cardiovascular health, particularly on electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters.

Objective

This study investigated the effects of ART on ECG parameters in HIV-infected patients by analyzing pre- and post-therapy data.

Methods

A total of 83 HIV-positive patients were enrolled and evaluated for ECG parameters before and 3 months after ART initiation. Key parameters, including QRS duration, QT duration corrected by the Bazett formula (QTc interval), QRS-T angle, morphology in inferior leads, voltage in lead 1, and P-wave duration (MVP) score, were manually assessed. Statistical analyses compared pre- and post-ART values.

Results

No statistically significant changes were observed in ECG parameters post-ART. For example, QRS duration remained stable (pre-ART: 89.08 ± 12.01 ms; post-ART: 88.94 ± 10.00 ms, p = 0.849), as did QTc interval (pre-ART: 403.51 ± 22.22 ms; post-ART: 404.84 ± 14.91 ms, p = 0.563) and MVP ECG score (pre-ART: 3.02 ± 0.95; post-ART: 2.98 ± 0.87, p = 0.882). The QRS-T angle also showed no significant difference (p = 0.675).

Conclusion

ART does not appear to significantly affect ECG parameters in HIV-infected patients, supporting its favorable cardiac safety profile. These findings highlight the importance of regular ECG monitoring to ensure cardiovascular safety in patients undergoing ART.