Brief Report: Body Mass Index and Cognitive Function Among HIV-1-Infected Individuals in China, India, and Nigeria

Prevalence and characteristics of metabolic syndrome and its components among adults living with and without HIV in Nigeria: a single-center study

BACKGROUND

Persons living with HIV (PLHIV) now live longer due to effective combination antiretroviral therapy. However, emerging evidence indicates that they may be at increased risk for some cardiometabolic disorders. We compared the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its component disorders between persons living with and without HIV in Nigeria.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a prospective cohort study of non-communicable diseases among PLHIV along with age- and sex-matched persons without HIV (PWoH) at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Nigeria. We collected sociodemographic and clinical data, including anthropometric measures and results of relevant laboratory tests. MetS was defined using a modification of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP ATP III) criteria.

RESULTS

Of the 440 PLHIV and 232 PWoH, women constituted 50.5% and 51.3% respectively. The median age of the PLHIV was 45 years while that of the PWoH was 40 years. The prevalence of MetS was 30.7% (95% CI: 26.4%, 35.2%) and 22.8% (95% CI: 17.6%, 28.8%) among the PLHIV and PWoH respectively (P = 0.026). Independent associations were found for older age (P < 0.001), female sex (P < 0.001), family history of diabetes (P < 0.001), family history of hypertension (P = 0.013) and alcohol use (P = 0.015). The prevalence of component disorders for PLHIV versus PWoH were as follows: high blood pressure (22.3% vs 20.3%), prediabetes (33.8% vs 21.1%), diabetes (20.5% vs 8.2%), high triglycerides (24.5% vs 17.2%), low HDL-Cholesterol (51.1% vs 41.4%), and abdominal obesity (38.4% vs 37.1%). Adjusting for age and sex, prediabetes, diabetes, and low HDL-Cholesterol were significantly associated with HIV status. Duration on antiretroviral therapy, protease inhibitor-based regimen, CD4 count, and viral load were associated with some of the disorders mostly in unadjusted analyses.

CONCLUSION

We found a high burden of MetS and its component disorders, with significantly higher prevalence of dysglycemia and dyslipidemia among PLHIV as compared to PWoH. Integration of strategies for the prevention and management of MetS disorders is needed in HIV treatment settings.

Inflammatory profile associated with insulin resistance in non-overweight versus overweight people living with HIV in Pune, Western India

BACKGROUND

People living with HIV have greater diabetes (T2DM) than the general population despite lower prevalence of overweight/obesity. Both insulin resistance (IR), a T2DM precursor, and HIV are independently associated with chronic inflammation. Inflammation may be a pathophysiological link explaining IR in people living with HIV who are not overweight but is not well understood.

AIMS

To study the association between inflammation and IR in non-overweight and overweight people living with HIV.

METHODS

In a cohort of adult people living with HIV with undetectable viral load in Pune, India, we measured fasting insulin, glucose, and 9 inflammatory markers. IR was defined as HOMA-IR ≥2, and non-overweight as BMI ≤23 kg/m². We used modified Poisson regression to evaluate the association between inflammatory markers and IR in overweight and non-overweight.

RESULTS

Of 288 participants, 66% (n = 189) were non-overweight. Among non-overweight, prevalence of IR was 34% (n = 65). Each doubling of MCP-1 and leptin was associated with IR on univariate analysis (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.29, 95%CI 1.07-1.53, p < 0.01; PR 1.13 95%CI 1.01-1.26, p = 0.03). Leptin remained associated with IR after adjustment for age, MCP-1, gender, cholesterol, and waist circumference (adjusted PR 1.20 95%CI 1.06-1.36, p < 0.01). Among overweight, prevalence of IR was 69% and no markers were associated with IR.

CONCLUSIONS

One in 3 non-overweight people living with HIV in India with controlled viremia have IR. Leptin was associated with IR among non-overweight people living with HIV and may provide insight into the pathophysiology of metabolic disease in this population.

Psychosocial Factors Associated with Suicidal Ideation Among HIV/AIDS Patients on Follow-Up at Dessie Referral Hospital, Northeast Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Psychosocial and mental health problems are common among HIV/AIDS patients that affect sustained utilization of healthcare services. To date, information is scarce regarding the perceived stigma, level of social support, and suicidal ideation among HIV/AIDS patients in the study setting. Therefore, this study aimed to assess psychosocial factors associated with suicidal ideation among HIV/AIDS patients on follow-up in the study setting.

Methods

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) on antiretroviral therapy follow-up for at least six months at a referral hospital in northeastern Ethiopia from November to January 2019. A total of 395 study participants of antiretroviral therapy clinic visitors were selected systematically. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with suicidal ideation among PLWH. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and variables having less than or equal 0.05 p-value used to declare statistical significant association.

Results

This study revealed that 45.3%, 56.5%, and 20%, had perceived stigma, poor social support, and depression, respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of suicidal ideation was 9.4% (95% CI: 6.7 to 12.7) of which, 3.3% had attempted to kill themselves. Low body mass index (AOR=4.11, 95% CI: 1.70 9.91), stages three and above illnesses (AOR=6.63, 95% CI: 1.30 33.79), depression (AOR=4.67, 95% CI: 4.67, 95% CI: 1.75 3.93), poor social support (AOR=4.18, 95% CI: 1.46 11.94), and fair and poor adherence (AOR=3.51, 95% CI: 1.14 10.85) were factors associated with suicidal ideation among PLWH.

Conclusion

This study showed that mental disorders and psychosocial problems were common among PLWH. The poor social support, depression, low body mass index, and poor adherence to ART medications were factors associated with suicidal ideation. This finding underscores the importance of regular screening for common mental health disorders and the strengthening of counseling services, nutritional, and psychosocial support programs.

HIV, Vascular Risk Factors, and Cognition in the Combination Antiretroviral Therapy Era: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

Mounting evidence indicates that vascular risk factors (VRFs) are elevated in HIV and play a significant role in the development and persistence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder. Given the increased longevity of people living with HIV (PLWH), there is a great need to better elucidate vascular contributions to neurocognitive impairment in HIV. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine relationships between traditional VRFs, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cognition in PLWH in the combination antiretroviral therapy era.

METHODS

For the systematic review, 44 studies met inclusion criteria and included data from 14,376 PLWH and 6,043 HIV-seronegative controls. To better quantify the contribution of VRFs to cognitive impairment in HIV, a robust variance estimation meta-analysis (N = 11 studies) was performed and included data from 2139 PLWH.

RESULTS

In the systematic review, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies supported relationships between VRFs, cognitive dysfunction, and decline, particularly in the domains of attention/processing speed, executive functioning, and fine motor skills. The meta-analysis demonstrated VRFs were associated with increased odds of global neurocognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR ]= 2.059, p = .010), which remained significant after adjustment for clinical HIV variables (p = .017). Analyses of individual VRFs demonstrated type 2 diabetes (p = .004), hyperlipidemia (p = .043), current smoking (p = .037), and previous CVD (p = .0005) were significantly associated with global neurocognitive impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

VRFs and CVD are associated with worse cognitive performance and decline, and neurocognitive impairment in PLWH. Future studies are needed to examine these relationships in older adults with HIV, and investigate how race/ethnicity, gender, medical comorbidities, and psychosocial factors contribute to VRF-associated cognitive dysfunction in HIV.

Neuroimaging and Cognitive Evidence for Combined HIV-Alcohol Effects on the Central Nervous System: A Review

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) is a significant public health concern. Despite the advent of effective antiretroviral therapy, up to 50% of PLWH still experience worsened neurocognition, which comorbid AUD exacerbates. We report converging lines of neuroimaging and neuropsychological evidence linking comorbid HIV/AUD to dysfunction in brain regions linked to executive function, learning and memory, processing speed, and motor control, and consequently to impairment in daily life. The brain shrinkage, functional network alterations, and brain metabolite disruption seen in individuals with HIV/AUD have been attributed to several interacting pathways: viral proteins and EtOH are directly neurotoxic and exacerbate each other's neurotoxic effects; EtOH reduces antiretroviral adherence and increases viral replication; AUD and HIV both increase gut microbial translocation, promoting systemic inflammation and HIV transport into the brain by immune cells; and HIV may compound alcohol's damaging effects on the liver, further increasing inflammation. We additionally review the neurocognitive effects of aging, Hepatitis C coinfection, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, tobacco use, and nutritional deficiencies, all of which have been shown to compound cognitive changes in HIV, AUD, and in their comorbidity. Finally, we examine emerging questions in HIV/AUD research, including genetic and cognitive protective factors, the role of binge drinking in HIV/AUD-linked cognitive decline, and whether neurocognitive and brain functions normalize after drinking cessation.

Attention/Working Memory, Learning and Memory in Adult Cameroonians: Normative Data, Effects of HIV Infection and Viral Genotype

OBJECTIVE

There is lack of Cameroonian adult neuropsychological (NP) norms, limited knowledge concerning HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa, and evidence of differential inflammation and disease progression based on viral subtypes. In this study, we developed demographically corrected norms and assessed HIV and viral genotypes effects on attention/working memory (WM), learning, and memory.

METHOD

We administered two tests of attention/WM [Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT)-50, Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS)-III Spatial Span] and two tests of learning and memory [Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R)] to 347 HIV+ and 395 seronegative adult Cameroonians. We assessed the effects of viral factors on neurocognitive performance.

RESULTS

Compared to controls, people living with HIV (PLWH) had significantly lower T-scores on PASAT-50 and attention/WM summary scores, on HVLT-R total learning and learning summary scores, on HVLT-R delayed recall, BVMT-R delayed recall and memory summary scores. More PLWH had impairment in attention/WM, learning, and memory. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) and current immune status had no effect on T-scores. Compared to untreated cases with detectable viremia, untreated cases with undetectable viremia had significantly lower (worse) T-scores on BVMT-R total learning, BVMT-R delayed recall, and memory composite scores. Compared to PLWH infected with other subtypes (41.83%), those infected with HIV-1 CRF02_AG (58.17%) had higher (better) attention/WM T-scores.

CONCLUSIONS

PLWH in Cameroon have impaired attention/WM, learning, and memory and those infected with CRF02_AG viruses showed reduced deficits in attention/WM. The first adult normative standards for assessing attention/WM, learning, and memory described, with equations for computing demographically adjusted T-scores, will facilitate future studies of diseases affecting cognitive function in Cameroonians.

Midlife adiposity predicts cognitive decline in the prospective Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

Obesity is a common, modifiable cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factor. Among people with HIV, obesity may contribute to multisystem dysregulation including cognitive impairment. We examined body mass index (BMI) and central obesity (waist circumference [WC]) in association with domain-specific cognitive function and 10-year cognitive decline in men with HIV infection (MWH) vs HIV-uninfected (HIV-) men.

METHODS

A total of 316 MWH and 656 HIV- Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study participants ≥40 years at baseline, with neuropsychological testing every 2 years and concurrent BMI and WC measurements, were included. MWH were included if taking ≥2 antiretroviral agents and had HIV-1 RNA <400 copies/mL at >80% of visits. Mixed-effects models included all visits from 1996 to 2015, stratified by HIV serostatus, and adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics. At baseline and follow-up, 8% of MWH and 15% of HIV- men and 41% of MWH and 56% of HIV- men were ≥60 years, respectively.

RESULTS

Cross-sectionally, higher BMI was inversely associated with motor function in MWH and HIV- men, and attention/working memory in HIV- men. WC was inversely associated with motor function in MWH and HIV- men. Longitudinal associations indicated an obese BMI was associated with a less steep decline in motor function in MWH whereas in HIV- men, obesity was associated with a greater decline in motor function, learning, and memory. WC, or central obesity, showed similar patterns of associations.

CONCLUSION

Higher adiposity is associated with lower cognition cross-sectionally and greater cognitive decline, particularly in HIV- men. Overweight and obesity may be important predictors of neurologic outcomes and avenues for prevention and intervention.