AI for the investigation of cardiovascular disease risk among patients with and without HIV.
This study, utilizing automatic arrhythmia analysis, holds the key to uncovering valuable insights into the prevalence of arrhythmia among adults in northwestern Tanzania, both with and without HIV. The study’s outcomes will play a pivotal role in guiding clinicians and shaping public health initiatives to effectively address and reduce the cardiovascular disease burden in East Africa.
Background
HIV is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and sudden death. Little is known about the association between HIV and cardiac arrhythmias, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where a majority of the people living with HIV live reside. As people with HIV are living longer, there is an urgent public health need to characterize and mitigate the risks of cardiovascular disease, including arrythmia.
Objective
The purpose of this study is to screen for cardiac arrythmias in a mixed cohort of people living with and without HIV in northwestern Tanzania.
Methods
This study will consist of a mixed cohort of 1,000 individuals living in an urban environment in northwestern Tanzania. Participants enrolled in the study will undergo 24 hours of ambulatory cardiac monitoring. The collected data will be sent to the cloud and analyzed for cardiac arrythmias, including supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmia, using a validated AI-based software called Cardiomatics. Participants for whom arrhythmia is diagnosed will be referred to a local cardiology clinic and treated according to the Tanzanian National Guidelines.
Results
This study will provide novel information about the burden of arrhythmia in adults living with and without HIV in northwestern Tanzania. Little is known about the burden of arrhythmia in this population, and the results of this study will help clinicians by informing ongoing public health efforts to mitigate the burden of cardiovascular disease in East Africa.
Coordinating Centers: Weill Cornell Medicine, Center for Global Health; Mwanza International Trials Unit
Financing party: NIH R01HL160332