A cross-sectional, population-based study measuring comorbidity among people living with HIV in Ontario

Association of COPD With Risk for Pulmonary Infections Requiring Hospitalization in HIV-Infected Veterans

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary infections remain more common in HIV-infected (HIV+) compared with uninfected individuals. The increase in chronic lung diseases among aging HIV+ individuals may contribute to this persistent risk. We sought to determine whether chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an independent risk factor for different pulmonary infections requiring hospitalization among HIV+ patients.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 41,993 HIV+ Veterans in the nationwide Veterans Aging Cohort Study Virtual Cohort from 1996 to 2009. Using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes, we identified baseline comorbid conditions, including COPD, and incident community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) requiring hospitalization within 2 years after baseline. We used multivariable Poisson regression to determine incidence rate ratios (IRRs) associated with COPD for each type of pulmonary infection, adjusting for comorbidities, CD4 cell count, HIV viral load, smoking status, substance use, vaccinations, and calendar year at baseline.

RESULTS

Unadjusted incidence rates of CAP, TB, and PCP requiring hospitalization were significantly higher among persons with COPD compared to those without COPD (CAP: 53.9 vs. 19.4 per 1000 person-years; TB: 8.7 vs. 2.8; PCP: 15.5 vs. 9.2; P ≤ 0.001). In multivariable Poisson regression models, COPD was independently associated with increased risk of CAP, TB, and PCP (IRR: 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.64 to 2.30; IRR: 2.60, 95% CI: 1.70 to 3.97; and IRR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.10 to 2.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

COPD is an independent risk factor for CAP, TB, and PCP requiring hospitalization among HIV+ individuals. As the HIV+ population ages, the growing burden of COPD may confer substantial risk for pulmonary infections.

An Update on Heart Transplantation in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients

Cardiovascular diseases have become a significant cause of morbidity in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Heart transplantation (HT) is a well-established treatment of end-stage heart failure (ESHF) and is performed in selected HIV-infected patients in developed countries. Few data are available on the prognosis of HIV-infected patients undergoing HT in the era of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) because current evidence is limited to small retrospective cohorts, case series, and case reports. Many HT centers consider HIV infection to be a contraindication for HT; however, in the era of cART, HT recipients with HIV infection seem to achieve satisfactory outcomes without developing HIV-related events. Consequently, selected HIV-infected patients with ESHF who are taking effective cART should be considered candidates for HT. The present review provides epidemiological data on ESHF in HIV-infected patients from all published experience on HT in HIV-infected patients since the beginning of the epidemic. The practical management of these patients is discussed, with emphasis on the challenging issues that must be addressed in the pretransplant (including HIV criteria) and posttransplant periods. Finally, proposals are made for future management and research priorities.

Systemic Inflammation-Based Biomarkers and Survival in HIV-Positive Subject With Solid Cancer in an Italian Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

Recently, some systemic inflammation-based biomarkers have been demonstrated useful for predicting risk of death in patients with solid cancer independently of tumor characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic role of systemic inflammation-based biomarkers in HIV-infected patients with solid tumors and to propose a risk score for mortality in these subjects.

METHODS

Clinical and pathological data on solid AIDS-defining cancer (ADC) and non-AIDS-defining cancer (NADC), diagnosed between 1998 and 2012 in an Italian cohort, were analyzed. To evaluate the prognostic role of systemic inflammation- and nutrition-based markers, univariate and multivariable Cox regression models were applied. To compute the risk score equation, the patients were randomly assigned to a derivation and a validation sample.

RESULTS

A total of 573 patients (76.3% males) with a mean age of 46.2 years (SD = 10.3) were enrolled. 178 patients died during a median of 3.2 years of follow-up. For solid NADCs, elevated Glasgow Prognostic Score, modified Glasgow Prognostic Score, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and Prognostic Nutritional Index were independently associated with risk of death; for solid ADCs, none of these markers was associated with risk of death. For solid NADCs, we computed a mortality risk score on the basis of age at cancer diagnosis, intravenous drug use, and Prognostic Nutritional Index. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.58 to 0.75) in the derivation sample and 0.66 (95% confidence interval: 0.54 to 0.79) in the validation sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Inflammatory biomarkers were associated with risk of death in HIV-infected patients with solid NADCs but not with ADCs.

Reliability and validity of a new HIV-specific questionnaire with adults living with HIV in Canada and Ireland: the HIV Disability Questionnaire (HDQ)

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to assess internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and test-retest reliability of the HDQ with adults living with HIV in Canada and Ireland.

METHODS

We recruited adults 18 years of age or older living with HIV from hospital clinics and AIDS service organizations in Canada and Ireland. We administered the HDQ paired with reference measures (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, SF-36 Questionnaire, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey), and a demographic questionnaire. We calculated HDQ disability presence, severity and episodic scores (scored from 0-100). We calculated Cronbach's alpha and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) (Canada only) for the disability severity and episodic scores and considered coefficients >0.80 and >0.70 as acceptable, respectively. To assess construct validity, we tested 40 a priori hypotheses of correlations between scores on the HDQ and reference measures and two known group hypotheses comparing HDQ presence and severity scores based on age and comorbidity. We considered acceptance of at least 75% of hypotheses as demonstrating support for construct validity.

RESULTS

Of the 235 participants (139 Canada; 96 Ireland), the majority were men (74% Ireland; 82% Canada) and were taking antiretroviral therapy (88% Ireland; 91% Canada). Compared with Irish participants, Canadian participants were older (median age: 48 versus 41 years) and reported living with a higher median number of comorbidities (4 versus 1). Cronbach's alpha for Irish and Canadian participants were 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.97-0.98) and 0.96 (95 % CI: 0.95-0.98), respectively, for the severity scale and 0.98 (95 % CI: 0.97-0.98) and 0.96 (95 % CI: 0.95-0.98), respectively, for the episodic scale. Of the 40 construct validity correlation hypotheses, 32 (80%) and 22 (55%) were supported among the Canadian and Irish samples respectively; both (100%) known group hypotheses were also supported. ICC values for Canadian participants ranged from 0.80 (95 % CI: 0.71, 0.86) in the cognitive domain to 0.89 (95 % CI: 0.83, 0.92) in the social inclusion domain.

CONCLUSIONS

The HDQ demonstrates internal consistency reliability and a variable degree of construct validity when administered to adults living with HIV in Canada and Ireland. The HDQ demonstrates test-retest reliability when administered to adults with HIV in Canada. Further validation of the HDQ outside of Canada is needed.

Strong Impact of Smoking on Multimorbidity and Cardiovascular Risk Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals in Comparison With the General Population

AIDS-associated morbidity has diminished due to excellent viral control. Multimorbidity are more prevalent and incident in Swiss HIV-positive persons compared to HIV-negative controls. However, smoking, but not HIV status, had a strong impact on cardiovascular risk and multimorbidity.

Background. Although acquired immune deficiency syndrome-associated morbidity has diminished due to excellent viral control, multimorbidity may be increasing among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons compared with the general population.

Methods. We assessed the prevalence of comorbidities and multimorbidity in participants of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) compared with the population-based CoLaus study and the primary care-based FIRE (Family Medicine ICPC-Research using Electronic Medical Records) records. The incidence of the respective endpoints were assessed among SHCS and CoLaus participants. Poisson regression models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking.

Results. Overall, 74 291 participants contributed data to prevalence analyses (3230 HIV-infected; 71 061 controls). In CoLaus, FIRE, and SHCS, multimorbidity was present among 26%, 13%, and 27% of participants. Compared with nonsmoking individuals from CoLaus, the incidence of cardiovascular disease was elevated among smoking individuals but independent of HIV status (HIV-negative smoking: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2–2.5; HIV-positive smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1–2.6; HIV-positive nonsmoking: IRR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.44–1.4). Compared with nonsmoking HIV-negative persons, multivariable Poisson regression identified associations of HIV infection with hypertension (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.5–2.4; smoking: IRR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.6–2.4), kidney (nonsmoking: IRR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.9–3.8; smoking: IRR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.9–3.6), and liver disease (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.4–2.4; smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.4–2.2). No evidence was found for an association of HIV-infection or smoking with diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions. Multimorbidity is more prevalent and incident in HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative individuals. Smoking, but not HIV status, has a strong impact on cardiovascular risk and multimorbidity.

Ageing with HIV: a multidisciplinary review

INTRODUCTION

After the introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment, the course of HIV infection turned into a chronic disease and most of HIV-positive patients will soon be over 50 years old.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This paper reviews the multiple aspects that physicians have to face while taking care of HIV-positive ageing patients including the definitions of frailty and the prevalence and risk factors of concomitant diseases. From a therapeutic point of view pharmacokinetic changes and antiretroviral-specific toxicities associated with ageing are discussed; finally therapeutic approaches to frailty are reviewed both in HIV-positive and negative patients.

CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION

We conclude by suggesting that the combined use of drugs with the least toxicity potential and the promotion of healthy behaviours (including appropriate nutrition and exercise) might be the best practice for ageing HIV-positive subjects.

Health administrative data can be used to define a shared care typology for people with HIV

OBJECTIVES

Building on an existing theoretical shared primary care/specialist care framework to (1) develop a unique typology of care for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Ontario, (2) assess sensitivity of the typology by varying typology definitions, and (3) describe characteristics of typology categories.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Retrospective population-based observational study from April 1, 2009, to March 31, 2012. A total of 13,480 eligible patients with HIV and receiving publicly funded health care in Ontario. We derived a typology of care by linking patients to usual family physicians and to HIV specialists with five possible patterns of care. Patient and physician characteristics and outpatient visits for HIV-related and non-HIV-related care were used to assess the robustness and characteristics of the typology.

RESULTS

Five possible patterns of care were described as low engagement (8.6%), exclusively primary care (52.7%), family physician-dominated comanagement (10.0%), specialist-dominated comanagement (30.5%), and exclusively specialist care (5.2%). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated robustness of typology assignments. Visit patterns varied in ways that conform to typology assignments.

CONCLUSION

We anticipate this typology can be used to assess the impact of care patterns on the quality of primary care for people living with HIV.

A cross-sectional, population-based study of HIV physicians and outpatient health care use by people with HIV in Ontario

BACKGROUND

People with HIV are living longer and their care has shifted towards the prevention and management of comorbidities. However, little is known about who is providing their care. Our objective was to characterize the provision of HIV care in Ontario by physician specialty.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective population-based observational study using linked administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, a single payer health care system. All Ontarians with HIV were identified using a validated case ascertainment algorithm. We examined office-based health care visits for this cohort between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2012. Physician characteristics were compared between specialty groups. We stratified the frequency and distribution of physician care into three categories: (a) care by physician specialty (family physicians, internal medicine specialists, infectious disease specialists, and other specialists), (b) care based on physician caseload (low, medium or high categorized as ≤5, 6-49 or ≥50 HIV patients per physician), and (c) care that is related to HIV versus unrelated to HIV.

RESULTS

Family physicians were older, graduated earlier, were more often female, and were the only group practicing in rural settings. Unlike other specialists, most family physicians (76.8%) had low-volume caseloads. There were 406,411 outpatient visits made by individuals with HIV; one-third were for HIV care. Family physicians provided the majority of care (53.6% of all visits and 53.9% of HIV visits). Internal medicine specialists provided 4.9% of all visits and 9.6% of HIV visits. Infectious disease specialists provided 12.5% of all visits and 32.7% of HIV visits. Other specialties provided 29.0% of visits; most of these (33.0%) were to psychiatrists.

CONCLUSIONS

The distribution of visits to physicians caring for HIV patients reveals different patterns of health care delivery by specialty and HIV caseload. Further research should delineate how specialties share care for this population and how different patterns relate to quality of care.

Patient-centered care for people living with multimorbidity

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to consider a patient-centred approach to the care of people living with HIV (PLWH) who have multimorbidity, irrespective of the specific conditions.

RECENT FINDINGS

Interdisciplinary care to achieve patient-centred care for people with multimorbidity is recognized as important, but the evaluation of models designed to achieve this goal are needed. Key elements of such approaches include patient preferences, interpretation of the evidence, prognosis as a tool to inform patient-centred care, clinical feasibility and optimization of treatment regimens.

SUMMARY

Developing and evaluating the best models of patient-centred care for PLWH who also have multimorbidity is essential. This challenge represents an opportunity to leverage the lessons learned from the care of people with multimorbidity in general, and vice versa.

HIV and aging: emerging research issues

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

It is now widely accepted that HIV-infected individuals remain at a higher risk for mortality and age-related morbidities than the general population, but several unresolved issues need to be addressed by the research community in the coming years to further improve the health of HIV-infected individuals in the modern treatment era.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although recent studies have helped to better define the contribution of HIV to life expectancy and morbidity in the modern antiretroviral therapy (ART) era, questions remain about the generalizability of these findings to a future HIV-infected population that is expected to be much older. Furthermore, although a consensus has emerged that the persistent inflammatory state contributes to morbidity and mortality in this setting, the relative contributions of this process, health-related behaviours, comorbidities and medication toxicities remain incompletely understood. Lastly, significant uncertainty remains over the root causes of the persistent inflammatory state, the specific immunologic pathways to target with interventions and the most appropriate biomarkers to use for surrogate outcomes in pilot trials of immune-based interventions.

SUMMARY

Each of these issues will be addressed in this review, highlighting recently published and presented studies that inform the discussion, and recommendations will be made for prioritizing the future research agenda.

Advancing research and practice in HIV and rehabilitation: a framework of research priorities in HIV, disability and rehabilitation

BACKGROUND

HIV increasingly is experienced as a complex chronic illness where individuals are living longer with a range of physical, cognitive, mental and social health-related challenges associated with HIV, comorbidities and aging, a concept that may be termed 'disability'. Rehabilitation such as physical therapy and occupational therapy can help address disability and has the potential to improve quality of life in people living with HIV. Hence, the role for rehabilitation in the context of HIV, aging and comorbidities is emerging. Our aim was to establish a framework of research priorities in HIV, disability and rehabilitation.

METHODS

We convened people living with HIV, clinicians, researchers, service providers, representatives from community-based organizations and policy and funding stakeholders to participate in the first International Forum on HIV and Rehabilitation Research. We conducted a multi-stakeholder consultation to identify current and emerging issues in HIV, disability and rehabilitation. Data were collated and analyzed using content analytical techniques.

RESULTS

Ninety-two participants attended the Forum from Canada, United Kingdom (UK), Ireland and the United States. Situated within three overarching themes (episodic health and disability across the life course; rehabilitation; and methodological advances), the Framework of Research Priorities in HIV, Disability and Rehabilitation includes six research priorities: 1) episodic health and disability; 2) aging with HIV across the life course; 3) concurrent health conditions; 4) access to rehabilitation and models of rehabilitation service provision; 5) effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions; and 6) enhancing outcome measurement in HIV and rehabilitation research. The Framework includes methodological considerations and environmental and personal contextual factors (or lenses) through which to approach research in the field. Knowledge translation should be implemented throughout the development and application of research knowledge to inform HIV clinical practice, programming and policy.

CONCLUSIONS

These priorities highlight the emerging priorities of living long-term with HIV and outline a plan for HIV and rehabilitation research in resource-rich countries such as the UK and Canada.

Cardiovascular disease associated with the human immunodeficiency virus: an update

OPINION STATEMENT

With the advent of increasingly available antiretroviral therapy (ART), the life expectancy of HIV-infected persons is increasing. As they age, HIV-infected persons have increased propensity to typical diseases of aging including cardiovascular disease and accelerated atherosclerosis. The pathogenesis of HIV-associated atherosclerosis is complex and involves a state of chronic inflammation, exposure to traditional risk factors, and metabolic side effects of ART. Treatment of HIV-associated atherosclerosis should include special attention to drug-drug interactions and is best accomplished by a multidisciplinary team experienced in the care of HIV-infected persons.

Identifying the appropriate comparison group for HIV-infected individuals

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

HIV-infected individuals are living longer as a result of effective treatment. Age-related comorbidities now account for the majority of morbidity and mortality among treated HIV-infected adults. Previous findings regarding the age at, and risk of, these comorbidities have been mixed, sparking debate in the field. Discerning potential differences in the occurrence and burden of age-related comorbidities among treated HIV-infected adults as compared with uninfected adults of the same age requires careful selection of the appropriate uninfected comparison group.

RECENT FINDINGS

The validity of comparisons with HIV-uninfected populations is threatened when differences in demographic, clinical, and lifestyle characteristics between HIV-infected and uninfected adults are not considered. Identifying a pool of HIV-uninfected individuals from existing secondary data resources and employing selection methodologies may be a novel approach to reduce threats to internal validity. Issues related to identifying data sources, understanding inclusion criteria, determining measurement error, and threats to inference are discussed.

SUMMARY

The development of clinical interventions targeting age-related comorbidities will rely on deriving valid inferences from appropriate comparison groups. The use of secondary data resources and selection methodology to create the appropriate uninfected comparison group is an attractive approach in the setting of finite resources, but are not without limitations.