Risk Factors for the Development of Atrial Fibrillation in HIV Infected Patients.

Background: Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have an array of multi-organ involvement, including cardiovascular disease. CD4 count is one of the best parameters to monitor the severity of HIV disease. The arrythmogenic potential of HIV disease has not been well defined. The aim of the study is to establish whether an association between the severity of HIV and atrial fibrillation (AF) exists. Methods: Out of a retrospective cohort of 780 HIV patients from January 2006 to December 2008, 40 patients were selected that developed AF during this period .The age and sex matched controls (n=40) were selected for comparison. The comparison between both groups was done using Fischer Exact Test. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was also performed to analyze the results. Results: The data shows that 47%(19/40) of the patients with HIV who developed AF had CD4 count lower than 250 as compared to 20%(8/40) in the control group (P value = 0.017) Conclusion: The data supports the presence of a relationship between HIV and AF. Patients with lower CD4 counts are more susceptible to develop AF.