Abinet Tekalign Manyahilal¹, Dufera mekonnen², Amanuel Gebreselassie Tesfaye¹, Zekarias Seifu Ayalew³, Gebeyehu Tessema Azibte^3,, Biruk Abate legesse³, Samuel Tsehaye Gebremedhin⁴

Background: Access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV infection into a chronic disease. However, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is now a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (PLWH). This study assessed the prevalence and predictors of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) among PLWH in Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study involving 156 PLWH was conducted. Medical records were reviewed, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, clinical characteristics, medications, and echocardiography findings. Binary logistic regression identified factors associated with LVSD (p<0.05). Results: LVSD prevalence was 19%, with ischemic heart disease (75%) as the primary cause. Echocardiography revealed abnormalities in 40% of participants, with ischemic heart disease (16.6%) being the most frequent. Dyslipidemia (51.6%) and hypertension (30.8%) were the most common traditional risk factors. After adjusting for covariates, diabetes mellitus (AOR=14.7, p=0.009), age (AOR=12.2, p=0.073), sex (AOR=7.4, p=0.006), presence of cardiac signs (AOR=6.6, p=0.011), duration of HIV illness (p=0.005) and ART exposure (p=0.03), and stage IV HIV (AOR=8.9, p=0.008) were independent predictors of LVSD. Conclusion: LVSD is prevalent among PLWH in Ethiopia, with ischemic heart disease being the leading cause. Traditional risk factors and HIV-related factors contribute to LVSD. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive CVD management strategies in PLWH.

HIV, ART, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, People living with HIV (PLWH), cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease