People living with HIV may experience subtle changes in heart muscle function even when conventional measures of cardiac performance remain normal, according to findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis that highlight the potential of more sensitive imaging techniques in this population.
Researchers identified significantly impaired global longitudinal strain (GLS) among people with HIV when compared with HIV-uninfected individuals, despite preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in both groups. LVEF is the standard measure clinicians rely on to assess how effectively the heart pumps blood, while GLS offers a more refined picture of how the heart muscle deforms with each beat — often revealing abnormalities that routine tests can miss.
The fact that LVEF remained preserved in both groups suggests that standard cardiac assessments would not have flagged the differences identified in the analysis. This is where speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) may prove valuable. The advanced ultrasound technique analyses tiny movement patterns within the heart muscle, allowing clinicians to measure strain with greater precision and potentially detect early myocardial dysfunction — impairment of the heart tissue — before it becomes apparent through conventional measures such as ejection fraction.
According to the findings, STE could therefore provide additional information about early myocardial dysfunction in people living with HIV, offering a potential means of identifying heart muscle changes at a stage when they might otherwise go unnoticed. By capturing these subtle alterations in cardiac performance, the technique could complement existing diagnostic approaches and add a further layer of insight into heart health among people with the virus.
The research was covered in a news report by the European Medical Journal, where further details of the systematic review and meta-analysis are available. As understanding grows around the relationship between HIV and cardiovascular health, the study adds to the case for considering advanced echocardiographic tools when evaluating cardiac function in this patient group, particularly where standard tests suggest the heart is working normally.
Original Source: https://www.eatg.org/hiv-news/european-medical-journal-hiv-linked-to-early-signs-of-heart-dysfunction/
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-10-18 04:03:00
