• Emeka Spiff Eleazar, Clara Idara Eleazar, Daniel Chukwu Nwachukwu, and Uchenna Ifeanyi Nwagha.
• University of Nigeria, Department of Physiology.
• Afr Health Sci. 2020 Dec 1; 20 (4): 1742-1748.

BackgroundCardiovascular abnormalities are not much reported among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected children especially in Africa where there is high HIV disease. In addition, the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in such children may have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system.MethodsCross-sectional study of randomly selected eighty HIV infected and 80 aged matched non- HIV-infected children were used. HIV-infected children were on HAART for more than 5years and had steadily received the treatment for 6 months prior to the time of the tests. Heights and weights were measured and body mass index calculated. Cardiac indices evaluated were heart rate (HR), PR interval, QRS duration, QT/QTC Interval, P/QRS/T Axis, RV5/SV1 voltage and RV5+SV1 voltage.ResultsThe average heart rate was significantly higher among HIV infected children on HAART than their non-infected counterparts (P= 0.019). At 0.05 significance level, their PR interval was significantly higher than those in the control group (P=0.050). The average QRS duration result also showed a significant difference between that of test and control subjects (P = 0.022).ConclusionThe HAART usage possibly improved the cardiovascular functioning in the infected children but the protective effects diminish with increase age and longer exposure.© 2020 Eleazar ES et al.

27 keywords...

hide…