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.