Cardiovascular damage in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a serious infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Clinical manifestations include generalized debilitation and impaired immune function, leading to a series of opportunistic infections (such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) and Kaposi's sarcoma. AIDS can involve various tissues and organs throughout the body, with the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system being most prominently affected; the heart is also one of the affected organs. Recent studies have shown that cardiac involvement in AIDS includes cardiac metastasis of Kaposi's sarcoma, a series of infections, and manifestations such as nonspecific myocarditis, endocarditis, pericarditis, and dilated cardiomyopathy. Although cardiac damage is not the main cause of death in AIDS, with improved diagnosis and treatment of AIDS and prolonged patient survival, cardiovascular complications may become a prominent clinical issue.