Aging and infectious diseases: do patterns of comorbidity vary by HIV status, age, and HIV severity?

HIV and aging: time for a new paradigm

The population of patients with HIV infection achieving viral suppression on combination antiretroviral therapy is growing, aging, and experiencing a widening spectrum of non-AIDS diseases. Concurrently, AIDS-defining conditions are becoming less common and are variably associated with outcome. Nonetheless, the spectrum of disease experienced by those aging with HIV remains strongly influenced by HIV, its treatment, and the behaviors, conditions, and demographics associated with HIV infection. Our focus must shift from a narrow interest in CD4 counts, HIV-RNA, and AIDS-defining illnesses to determining the optimal management of HIV infection as a complex chronic disease in which the causes of morbidity and mortality are multiple and overlapping. We need a new paradigm of care with which to maximize functional status, minimize frailty, and prolong life expectancy. A composite index that summarizes a patient's risk of morbidity and mortality could facilitate this work and help chart its progress.

HIV infection in the elderly

The prevalence of HIV in patients over the age of 50 years is increasing. Although older patients may achieve equal or better virologic suppression at equal rates compared with younger patients, the immunologic benefit of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in older patients may be reduced compared with younger patients. Comorbidities are more common in older patients than younger patients and can impact management of HIV in these patients. Providers must be cognizant of drug-drug interactions and side effects of HAART regimens when selecting an antiretroviral regimen in older HIV patients. As the HIV-infected population ages, there is a growing need to better determine the ideal HAART regimen and timing of HAART initiation in older patients.

Aging with HIV: a cross-sectional study of comorbidity prevalence and clinical characteristics across decades of life

Nurses and nurse practitioners require information on the health problems faced by aging HIV-infected adults. In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, we reviewed the electronic medical records of 1,478 adult patients seen in an HIV clinic between May 2006 and August 2007 to examine patterns of comorbidities, and immunological and clinical characteristics across each decade of life. With increasing age, patients were found to have lower HIV viral loads, more prescribed medications, and a higher prevalence of comorbid conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, hepatitis C, esophageal gastric reflux disease, and renal disease. Fortunately, with increasing age, patients were also more likely to have public or private health insurance and tended to be more compliant to medical appointments. With growing interest in aging with HIV, this study highlights the vastly different comorbidity profiles across decades of life, calling into question what constitutes "older" with HIV.

Refill adherence to oral hypoglycemic agents and glycemic control in veterans

BACKGROUND

Although medication nonadherence may contribute to inadequate diabetes control, adherence is not routinely measured. Persistence, the continuous refill of medications, is one metric that could be integrated into clinical care if associated with glycemic control.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the association of persistence levels (non-, good, overpersistence) with hemoglobin A(1c) (A1C) over 1 year in newly medicated diabetics in the Veterans Administration.

METHODS

Eligible veterans were > or =18 years and first filled a prescription for oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA) between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2002. The date the OHA was first dispensed was defined as the baseline date. Subjects must have filled at least 1 prescription for any drug, but no diabetes medications, during the 12 months preceding the baseline date. Persistence was measured in days supply of medication over 365 days and defined as non- (<0.80), good (> or =0.8-1.10), and over- (>1.10) persistence. The main outcome measure was achieving goal A1C (< or =7.0%) after 1 year.

RESULTS

A total of 56,181 veterans were included. Veterans were male (97%) and white (67%) with comorbid hypertension (58%) and hyperlipidemia (40%). Median age was 63 years, while median baseline A1C was 7.7%. Fifty-two percent of patients had good persistence; 25% were overpersistent. Good persistence was associated with achieving goal A1C (RR 1.07; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.09). The association of overpersistence with the same outcome (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.94 to 0.97) was lower than good persistence, but higher than nonpersistence (RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.92 to 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Good persistence was associated with glycemic control. Overpersistent patients were common and more likely than nonpersistent patients, but less likely than good persisters to attain goal A1C. Estimating these different strata of persistence may be useful in identifying patients at risk of poor glycemic control.

Depression symptoms and treatment among HIV infected and uninfected veterans

Depression is one of the most common comorbid conditions affecting persons with HIV. We compared depressive symptoms and depression treatment using data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS), a prospective cohort of HIV-infected and uninfected subjects. We identified subjects with a Patient Health Questionnaire score of 10 or greater. Treatment was defined as prescription of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or mental health counseling. Overall, 16% of 4,480 subjects had depressive symptoms, and HIV-infected patients were more likely to have had depressive symptoms (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.18, 1.62). Geographic site of care and having a mental health provider at the clinic was associated with treatment. In multivariable models restricted to 732 patients with depressive symptoms, receipt of depression treatment did not differ by HIV status (Adjusted OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.80, 1.54). Non-Hispanic whites were more likely to receive treatment (Adjusted OR = 2.09, 95% CI 1.04, 4.24). Primary care and HIV providers were equally unlikely to treat active depressive symptoms. Treatment variation by race, site, and availability of a mental health provider, suggests targets for intervention.

Towards a combined prognostic index for survival in HIV infection: the role of 'non-HIV' biomarkers

BACKGROUND

As those with HIV infection live longer, 'non-AIDS' condition associated with immunodeficiency and chronic inflammation are more common. We ask whether 'non-HIV' biomarkers improve differentiation of mortality risk among individuals initiating combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).

METHODS

Using Poisson models, we analysed data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) on HIV-infected veterans initiating cART between 1 January 1997 and 1 August 2002. Measurements included: HIV biomarkers (CD4 cell count, HIV RNA and AIDS-defining conditions); 'non-HIV' biomarkers (haemoglobin, transaminases, platelets, creatinine, and hepatitis B and C serology); substance abuse or dependence (alcohol or drug); and age. Outcome was all cause mortality. We tested the discrimination (C statistics) of each biomarker group alone and in combination in development and validation data sets, over a range of survival intervals, and adjusting for missing data.

RESULTS

Of veterans initiating cART, 9784 (72%) had complete data. Of these, 2566 died. Subjects were middle-aged (median age 45 years), mainly male (98%) and predominantly black (51%). HIV and 'non-HIV' markers were associated with each other (P < 0.0001) and discriminated mortality (C statistics 0.68-0.73); when combined, discrimination improved (P < 0.0001). Discrimination for the VACS Index was greater for shorter survival intervals [30-day C statistic 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80-0.91], but good for intervals of up to 8 years (C statistic 0.73, 95% CI 0.72-0.74). Results were robust to adjustment for missing data.

CONCLUSIONS

When added to HIV biomarkers, 'non-HIV' biomarkers improve differentiation of mortality. When evaluated over similar intervals, the VACS Index discriminates as well as other established indices. After further validation, the VACS Index may provide a useful, integrated risk assessment for management and research.

Low bone mass and high bone turnover in postmenopausal human immunodeficiency virus-infected women

CONTEXT

Low bone mineral density (BMD) is commonly reported in young men and women with HIV infection, and fracture rates may be higher. With effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), the HIV population is aging. However, little is known about the skeletal status of postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess the effects of HIV infection and ART on BMD and bone turnover in postmenopausal minority women.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS

A prospective cohort study was performed in 92 HIV+ and 95 HIV- postmenopausal Hispanic and African-American women.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We measured BMD by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, fracture prevalence, serum levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNFalpha, IL-6), bone turnover markers, calciotropic hormones, and estrone.

RESULTS

HIV+ women were younger (56 +/- 1 vs. 60 +/- 1 yr; P < 0.01) and had lower BMI (28 +/- 1 vs. 30 +/- 1 kg/m(2); P < 0.01) and estrone levels. Prevalence of T scores below -1.0 was greater in HIV+ women at the spine (78 vs. 64%; P < 0.05), total hip (45 vs. 29%; P < 0.05), and femoral neck (64 vs. 46%; P < 0.05), and Z scores adjusted for BMI were lower in HIV+ women at the same sites. Serum TNFalpha, N-telopeptide, and C-telopeptide were significantly higher in HIV+ than HIV- women, particularly those receiving ART. HIV+ status was independently and negatively associated with spine and hip BMD after adjustment for age, ethnicity, BMI, and alcohol.

CONCLUSION

The lower BMD, higher prevalence of low BMD, and higher levels of bone turnover markers detected in HIV+ postmenopausal minority women could place them at high risk for future fractures.

Pain among Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom: do women and men differ?

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate sex differences in the prevalence of overall pain, moderate-severe pain, and persistent pain among Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom seen at VA outpatient clinics, and to evaluate sex differences in pain assessment.

DESIGN

The observational cohort consisted of Veterans discharged from the U.S. military from October 1, 2001 to November 30, 2007 that enrolled for Veterans Administration (VA) services or received VA care before January 1, 2008. We limited the sample to the 153,212 Veterans (18,481 female, 134,731 male) who had 1 year of observation after their last deployment.

RESULTS

Pain was assessed in 59.7% (n = 91,414) of Veterans in this sample. Among those assessed, 43.3% (n = 39,591) reported any pain, 63.2% (n = 25,028) of whom reported moderate-severe pain. Over 20% (n = 3,427) of Veterans with repeated pain measures reported persistent pain. We found no significant difference in the probability of pain assessment by sex (RR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96, 1.00). Female Veterans were less likely to report any pain (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.86, 0.92). Among those with any pain, female Veterans were more likely to report moderate-severe pain (RR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01, 1.09) and less likely to report persistent pain (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.81, 0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

As the VA plans care for the increasing numbers of female Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, a better understanding of the prevalence of pain, as well as sex-specific variations in the experience and treatment of pain, is important for policy makers and providers who seek to improve identification and management of diverse pain disorders.

Prevalence and patient awareness of medical comorbidities in an urban AIDS clinic

Mortality in HIV-positive persons is increasingly due to non-HIV-related medical comorbidities. There are limited data on the prevalence and patient awareness of these comorbid conditions. Two hundred subjects at an urban HIV clinic were interviewed in 2005 to assess their awareness of 15 non-HIV-related medical comorbidities, defined as medical problems that are neither AIDS-defining by standard definitions, nor a direct effect of immune deficiency. Medical charts were subsequently reviewed to establish prevalence and concordance between self-report and chart documentation. Eighty-four percent of subjects self-reported at least 1 of 15 medical comorbidities and 92% had at least 1 condition chart-documented. The top 5 chart-documented conditions were hepatitis C (51.5%), pulmonary disease (28.5%), high blood pressure (27%), high cholesterol (24.5%), and obesity (22.5%). In multivariate analysis, higher number of non-HIV-related medical comorbidities was associated with older age, female gender, and intravenous drug use as route of HIV transmission. Across self-reported non-HIV-related medical comorbidities, the absolute concordance rate ranged from 67% to 96%, the sensitivity ranged from 0% to 79%; the positive predictive value ranged from 0% to 100%. While the vast majority of largely urban minority HIV-positive subjects were diagnosed with non-HIV-related medical comorbidities, there is significant room for improvement in patient awareness. In order to help patients optimally access and adhere to medication and medical care for these non-HIV-related medical comorbidities, interventions and educational campaigns to improve patient awareness that take cultural background, literacy, and educational level into account should be developed, implemented, and evaluated.

Predicting mortality from HIV-associated Pneumocystis pneumonia at illness presentation: an observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

Although the use of antiretroviral therapy has led to dramatic declines in AIDS-associated mortality, Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) remains a leading cause of death in HIV-infected patients.

OBJECTIVES

To measure mortality, identify predictors of mortality at time of illness presentation and derive a PCP mortality prediction rule that stratifies patients by risk for mortality.

METHODS

An observational cohort study with case note review of all HIV-infected persons with a laboratory diagnosis of PCP at San Francisco General Hospital from 1997 to 2006.

RESULTS

451 patients were diagnosed with PCP on 524 occasions. In-hospital mortality was 10.3%. Multivariate analysis identified five significant predictors of mortality: age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) per 10-year increase, 1.69; 95% CI 1.08 to 2.65; p = 0.02); recent injection drug use (AOR 2.86; 95% CI 1.28 to 6.42; p = 0.01); total bilirubin >0.6 mg/dl (AOR 2.59; 95% CI 1.19 to 5.62; p = 0.02); serum albumin <3 g/dl (AOR 3.63; 95% CI 1.72-7.66; p = 0.001); and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient >or=50 mm Hg (AOR 3.02; 95% CI 1.41 to 6.47; p = 0.004). Using these five predictors, a six-point PCP mortality prediction rule was derived that stratifies patients according to increasing risk of mortality: score 0-1, 4%; score 2-3, 12%; score 4-5, 48%.

CONCLUSIONS

The PCP mortality prediction rule stratifies patients by mortality risk at the time of illness presentation and should be validated as a clinical tool.

Liver disease: the effects of HIV and antiretroviral therapy and the implications for early antiretroviral therapy initiation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

With the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), end-stage liver disease has emerged as a major cause of death in HIV and hepatitis-coinfected patients. With the recent change of guidelines recommending early HAART for the treatment of HIV in hepatitis B or C-coinfected patients, the question arises how these recommendations are substantiated by existing data. In the following review, we discuss current data on the effects of HAART in the context of concurrent hepatitis B and C infection.

RECENT FINDINGS

Virologically successful HAART slows the progression of liver fibrosis and downregulates liver inflammation in hepatitis-coinfected patients. Indeed, cohort studies demonstrate a reduction in liver disease-related death events in HAART-treated patients. Moreover, the rate of immune reconstitution under HAART has been shown to determine the risk for future hepatic decompensation.

SUMMARY

Early HAART clearly proves to be beneficial for hepatitis-coinfected patients, and concerns on an increased risk for drug-related liver injury should not be a reason to withhold HAART.

Measuring Persistence to Oral Hypoglycemic Agents in Type 2 Diabetic Veterans

BACKGROUND: Medication adherence is essential for diabetes control but difficult to measure. Persistence, the continuous refill of medications, is one measurement that could be integrated into practice, but concordance among definitions of persistence is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To compare persistence patterns in the use of oral hypoglycemic agents by diabetic veterans in the first year of treatment, using 2 separate refill metrics. METHODS: Eligible veterans were 18 years or older and had filled at least one prescription for any nondiabetes drug during the 6 months preceding study entry. Study entry was the date that patients first filled a prescription for oral hypoglycemic agents between January 1,2000, and December 31, 2002. Persistence was defined as (1) total days (days' supply/study period) and (2) continuous fill (days' supply/refill interval). RESULTS: Inclusion criteria were met by 110,554 veterans. They had a median age of 63 years, 97% were male, and most had multiple comorbidities. Most patients received only one oral hypoglycemic agent. When total days was used, median persistence at 1 year was 83%, with 45% of subjects demonstrating poor persistence (<80%). When continuous fill was used, median persistence was 0.99, and 24% had poor persistence. Both metrics decreased over time. Continuous fill produced higher persistence estimates and a substantial proportion of overpersistence (>24% of patients). The 2 measures had a kappa agreement statistic of 0.56 (95% CI 0.55 to 0.57). CONCLUSIONS: Although both metrics showed similar trajectories over time, more conservative estimates, ease of calculation, and transparency favor total days over continuous fill. Continuous fill revealed substantial overpersistence, which should be considered separately from good persistence. Explicit definitions of persistence are necessary to enhance comparisons among refill studies and provide context for clinical applications.

HIV infection and the risk of diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

The influence of HIV infection on the risk of diabetes is unclear. We determined the association and predictors of prevalent diabetes mellitus in HIV infected and uninfected veterans.

METHODS

We determined baseline prevalence and risk factors for diabetes between HIV infected and uninfected veterans in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of diabetes in HIV infected and uninfected persons.

RESULTS

We studied 3227 HIV-infected and 3240 HIV-uninfected individuals. HIV-infected individuals were younger, more likely to be black males, have HCV coinfection and a lower BMI. HIV-infected individuals had a lower prevalence of diabetes at baseline (14.9 vs. 21.4%, P < 0.0001). After adjustment for known risk factors, HIV-infected individuals had a lower risk of diabetes (odds ratio = 0.84, 95% confidence interval = 0.72-0.97). Increasing age, male sex, minority race, and BMI were associated with an increased risk. The odds ratio for diabetes associated with increasing age, minority race and BMI were greater among HIV-infected veterans. HCV coinfection and nucleoside and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy were associated with a higher risk of diabetes in HIV-infected veterans.

CONCLUSION

Although HIV infection itself is not associated with increased risk of diabetes, increasing age; HCV coinfection and BMI have a more profound effect upon the risk of diabetes among HIV-infected persons. Further, long-term ARV treatment also increases risk. Future studies will need to determine whether incidence of diabetes mellitus differs by HIV status.

The impact of integrated HIV care on patient health outcomes

BACKGROUND

Control of viral replication through combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) improves patient health outcomes. Yet many HIV-infected patients have comorbidities that pose social and clinical barriers to achieving viral suppression. Integration of subspecialty services into HIV primary care may overcome such barriers.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate effect of integrated HIV care (IHC) on suppression of HIV replication.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study of HIV patients from 5 Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities 2000 to 2006.

SUBJECTS

Patients with >3 months of follow-up, sufficient baseline HIV severity, on cART.

MEASURES

We measured and ranked Integrated Care at the facilities. These rankings were applied to patient visits to form an index of IHC utilization. We evaluated effect of IHC utilization on likelihood of achieving viral suppression while on cART, controlling for demographic and clinical factors using survival analysis.

RESULTS

: The 1018 HIV-infected patients eligible for analysis had substantial barriers to responding to cART: 93% had comorbidities with mean 3.2 comorbidities per patient (SD = 2.0); 52% achieved viral suppression in median 231 days (SD = 411.6). Patients visiting clinics that offered hepatitis, psychiatric, psychologic, and social services in addition to HIV primary care were 3.1 times more likely to achieve viral suppression than patients visiting clinics which offered only HIV primary care (hazard ratio = 3.1, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who visited IHC clinics were more likely to achieve viral suppression while on cART. Future research should investigate which elements of Integrated Care are most associated with viral control and what role provider experience plays in this association.

Spectrum of chronic kidney disease in HIV-infected patients

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence and aetiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and trends in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in HIV-infected patients.

METHODS

Ascertainment and review of CKD cases among patients attending King's College and Brighton Hospitals, UK were carried out. CKD was defined as eGFR <60 mL/min for > or =3 months. Longitudinal eGFR slopes were produced to examine trends in renal function before, during and after exposure to indinavir (IDV) or tenofovir (TFV).

RESULTS

CKD prevalence was 2.4%. While HIV-associated nephropathy accounted for 62% of CKD in black patients, 95% of CKD in white/other patients was associated with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atherosclerosis and/or drug toxicity. Exposure to IDV or TFV was associated with an accelerated decline in renal function (4.6-fold and 3.7-fold, respectively) in patients with CKD. In patients initiating IDV, age > or =50 years increased the odds of CKD [odds ratio (OR) 4.9], while in patients initiating TFV, age > or =50 years (OR 5.4) and eGFR 60-75 mL/min (OR 17.2) were associated with developing CKD.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the importance of metabolic and vascular disease to the burden of CKD in an ageing HIV-infected cohort. In patients who developed CKD, treatment with IDV or TFV was associated with an accelerated decline in renal function.

Epidemiology of HIV and response to antiretroviral therapy in the middle aged and elderly

HIV is increasing in prevalence in the middle aged and older population owing to both increased longevity, and new infections in these populations. Highly active antiretrorival therapy (HAART) therapy may be less effective at restoring immune function in older patients compared with younger patients. There are significant toxicities associated with HAART therapy that, combined with decreased renal and liver function in older patients, may be more problematic in older HIV-infected patients. Comorbid disease is becoming an increasing problem with coadministration of multiple drugs and significant drug-drug interactions. Psychosocial issues in the older patient are often different than those in younger HIV-infected patients and providers should try to address these issues early. Finally, future research should work to identify the ideal timing and type of HAART regimens for older HIV-infected individuals.

Aging and infectious diseases: workshop on HIV infection and aging: what is known and future research directions

Highly active antiretroviral treatment has resulted in dramatically increased life expectancy among patients with HIV infection who are now aging while receiving treatment and are at risk of developing chronic diseases associated with advanced age. Similarities between aging and the courses of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome suggest that HIV infection compresses the aging process, perhaps accelerating comorbidities and frailty. In a workshop organized by the Association of Specialty Professors, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the HIV Medical Association, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases, researchers in infectious diseases, geriatrics, immunology, and gerontology met to review what is known about HIV infection and aging, to identify research gaps, and to suggest high priority topics for future research. Answers to the questions posed are likely to help prioritize and balance strategies to slow the progression of HIV infection, to address comorbidities and drug toxicity, and to enhance understanding about both HIV infection and aging.

Impact of pneumococcal vaccination on the incidence of pneumonia by HIV infection status among patients enrolled in the Veterans Aging Cohort 5-Site Study

BACKGROUND

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons have a high incidence of pneumonia and pneumococcal disease. Benefits of vaccination with the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) among these patients continue to be debated.

METHODS

The impact of PPV vaccination on the incidence of pneumonia events (i.e., the composite of pneumococcal pneumonia and pneumonia due to nonspecified organisms) was examined among participants in the Veterans Aging Cohort 5-Site Study, an ongoing prospective study of HIV-infected patients matched to an HIV-uninfected control group. Dates of PPV vaccination and pneumonia were determined by retrospective review of electronic medical records. Time to events was measured for up to 2 years from PPV vaccination or from enrollment for vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, respectively. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression methods were used to examine the incidence of pneumonia by HIV infection and PPV vaccination status.

RESULTS

Among 692 HIV-uninfected and 934 HIV-infected study participants, 59% were vaccinated with PPV. The 2-year incidence of pneumonia was 6% (97 participants developed pneumonia). HIV-infected patients had a higher rate of pneumonia (hazard ratio, 5.81; 95% confidence interval, 3.15-10.71); overall, vaccinated patients showed a trend toward lower risk of pneumonia (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-1.13). Among HIV-infected patients, after controlling for HIV-specific and other variables, vaccination significantly reduced the risk of pneumonia (hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-1.00); current smoking, low hemoglobin level, and low CD4 cell count significantly increased such risk. The effect of PPV vaccination among HIV-uninfected patients was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Among HIV-infected patients, PPV vaccination offered protection against pneumonia. Smoking cessation needs to be pursued as an additional strategy for preventing pneumonia.