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| Patient suffering from HIV Image: unsplash.com |
An accomplished cardiologist, Dr. Aiman Hamdan most recently practiced at Advanced Medical in Paterson, New Jersey. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Aiman Hamdan has published several research studies on cardiovascular-related illnesses over the years. One of his studies evaluated the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in patients with HIV.
PAD is a circulatory problem characterized by reduced blood flow to the body’s extremities, most commonly the legs. The condition is caused by a build up of fatty deposits along the arteries, narrowing them to the extent of restricting blood flow. A common symptom of PAD is leg pain while walking (claudication) that quickly subsides during rest.
For the study on the prevalence of PAD in patients with HIV, Dr. Hamdan, together with other researchers, enrolled 214 patients randomly. Of these, 70 had HIV while 144 did not have HIV (the control group). The groups were evaluated between March and December 2009 using the Edinburg Questionnaire and ABI study tools.
Researchers found that claudication was common among patients with HIV, affecting 28.5 percent of them as compared to 12.5 percent of patients without HIV. Other evaluations suggested an abnormal ABI in patients with HIV relative to those without, suggesting the existence of PAD. Researchers recommended the periodic screening of patients with HIV for PAD to catch and treat the condition early enough.
