Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is transmitted to both children and adults through the air.1 It most often affects the lungs, but it can also progress into other organs and involve multiple systems, such as the lymphatic system, articulations, the central nervous system (CNS), the gastrointestinal system, and the cardiovascular system (CVS).2 This infection can be lethal if left untreated; hence, urgent diagnosis, targeted treatment, and multidisciplinary management are crucial to prevent an unfavorable progression of the disease as well as its spread to other individuals.1 Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of diseases that are not communicable and affect the heart and blood vessels, such as atherosclerosis and heart rhythm disorders, and that account for the majority of deaths worldwide and significantly contribute to diminished quality of life.3 Both diseases are considered global health issues that have been tagged as public health emergencies for decades.1,3

In low- and middle-income countries, rates of TB and CVDs are rising, resulting in a high mortality rate.4,5 TB and CVDs appear to have close epidemiological and pathogenetic overlap.6 Several studies have shown that the risk of CVDs in a patient who has caught TB is increased when compared to the risk percentage in patients who do not have a history of TB, both in the short and long term.6 Moreover, studies have reported a multisystemic incrimination of TB affecting the cardiovascular system through different mechanisms, resulting in several complications that could be extremely dangerous, such as atherosclerotic lesions in coronary arteries, constrictive pericarditis, heart failure, and others.6,7 In addition, it was proven that the clinical manifestations of cardiovascular secondary effects caused by TB infection differ from those typically found for bacteria or viruses. Macrophages, lymphocytes, and cytokines that are involved in cell-mediated immune responses against the TB infectious agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are also strong mediators of atherogenesis, implying that TB plays an important role in CVDs.6,8 A previous systematic review assessed the prevalence of CVD risk factors among active TB cases in Africa. High prevalence of CVD risk factors was detected.9 A higher CVD risk was found among TB patients in another systematic review.10 With this systematic review, we aimed to determine the prevalence of CVD in TB population.