INTRODUCTION
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there
were 39,782 incident cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
infection in 2016 in the United States1. The incidence
of newly diagnosed HIV infection has been relatively stable over the
years since the late 1990s2. Access to effective
antiretroviral therapy (ART) has substantially reduced HIV mortality,
acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related
hospitalizations. This has led to an overall improved life expectancy in
the HIV patient population3. However, in the aging
HIV-infected population, cardiovascular complications such as
hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD) and congestive heart failure
(CHF) have become a growing health concern4-7. Besides
advancing age, other contributors such as the HIV infection itself,
immune dysfunction, chronic inflammation, ART exposure and toxicity are
also implicated in heart disease and can lead to complications such as
myocardial infarction and cardiomyopathy8, 9. In
addition to these cardiovascular complications, arrhythmias have also
become important contributors to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality
in patients with HIV10, 11. However, temporal trends
of the frequency and outcome of arrhythmias in patients with HIV have
not been adequately described.
We sought to describe the temporal trends in the frequency of
arrhythmias among hospitalized HIV patients. We also aimed to identify
comorbidities associated with arrhythmias in this specific patient
population. In addition, we sought to determine the outcomes related to
arrhythmias in hospitalized HIV patients, including in-hospital
mortality, length of stay and cost of care.