Experts call for integrating cardiac care into long-term HIV treatment
Experts at a national symposium urged integrating cardiac care into long-term HIV treatment, citing longer lifespans and rising cardiovascular risks.
Cardiovascular health must become a core component of long-term care for people living with HIV, experts said at a national symposium on Saturday. With antiretroviral therapy enabling longer and healthier lives, the focus must now extend to managing long-term complications, particularly heart disease.
The 'HIV and Heart Symposium 2026' was organised by the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in association with the AIDS Society of India. It brought together cardiologists and HIV specialists to discuss the emerging links between HIV and cardiovascular disease.
H.S. Nataraj Setty, associate professor of cardiology at Jayadeva and course director, noted that the success of antiretroviral therapy has transformed HIV care. "People living with HIV are now able to lead longer and healthier lives. As their life expectancy improves, we also need to focus on cardiovascular health and other long-term complications," he said.
Jayadeva director B. Dinesh stressed the need for early recognition, appropriate investigation, and timely treatment of heart disease among people living with HIV.
The symposium also traced India's four-decade HIV response. Ishwar Gilada, secretary-general of the People's Health Organisation and president emeritus of the AIDS Society of India, highlighted the journey from early clinical interventions in the 1980s to community-based prevention and expanded access to affordable generic antiretroviral drugs. He noted that generic medicines helped bridge treatment gaps in resource-limited countries, including in Africa.
Addressing the need for specialised cardiac care, Devi Prasad Shetty, chairman of Narayana Health, said few hospitals are willing to treat people living with HIV due to concerns over handling blood. "Some hospitals are hesitant because of the perceived risk while handling the blood of these patients. Jayadeva has set an example by treating more than 1,200 such patients," he said.
Dr. Nataraj Setty confirmed that the institute has treated 1,209 patients with HIV-associated cardiac disease since 2013.