Abstract
Objective: To determine cardiovascular disease in different stages of HIV/AIDS and its associated risk factors in HIV-infected individuals. Methods: A prospective, observational study conducted with cardiovascular diseases at baseline. The information included data on HIV infection at various stages, echocardiography, demographic values, cumulative incidence and statistical significance. Results: The relative risk of cardiovascular disease was found to be 1.61 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43–1.81] among people living with HIV (PLHIV) without antiretroviral therapy (ART) compared with HIV-uninfected people and the relative risk was identified as 2.00 (95% CI 1.70–2.37) among PLHIV on ART compared with HIV-uninfected people. There was a positive correlation between low CD4 count and echocardiographic abnormalities. Other occurrences such as cardiomyopathy, pericardial effusion, and pulmonary hypertension were also noted. Conclusion: In conclusion, it is clear that cardiovascular complications are highly seen in HIV-infected patients and are increasing with the increase of the stages of HIV. PLHIV exhibit multiple known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Key words: Cardiovascular disease, CD4 count, HIV, AIDS and risk factors