How are women living with HIV in France coping with their perceived side effects of antiretroviral therapy? Results from the EVE study

Patient Satisfaction with Once-Daily Single-Tablet Darunavir, Cobicistat, Emtricitabine, and Tenofovir Alafenamide (DRV/c/FTC/TAF): A Real-World Study of Patient Self-Reported Outcomes in HIV-1-Diagnosed Adults

PURPOSE

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection remains a concern. As patient adherence to antiretroviral therapy is essential to avoid drug resistance and virologic failure, greater understanding of patient treatment satisfaction may help facilitate ongoing medication use.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

An online survey was conducted through the Carenity US HIV platform (04/07/2020-05/26/2020). Eligible respondents were adults with HIV-1 registered on the platform who were receiving darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (DRV/c/FTC/TAF) and living in the United States. This descriptive study assessed patient satisfaction with DRV/c/FTC/TAF and HIV-related symptoms at baseline and follow-up (4-6 weeks). Two HIV patient-reported outcomes tools were completed at both time points: the HIV Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (HIVTSQs; range: 0-60 points [higher score indicates greater satisfaction]) and the HIV Symptom Distress Module (HIV-SDM; range: 0-80 points [lower score indicates lower distress]).

RESULTS

Of 100 respondents from across the United States who completed the survey at baseline, mean age was 39 years, 69 were male, 48 were Caucasian, 76 were HIV treatment-experienced, and 24 were HIV treatment-naïve. Of baseline respondents, 46 completed the follow-up survey. In the overall population, treatment discontinuation between baseline and follow-up was low (6.5%: 3/46 respondents at follow-up). Mean total HIVTSQs score at baseline was 50.2 with the highest proportion of respondents satisfied regarding their willingness to continue DRV/c/FTC/TAF (79%) and to recommend DRV/c/FTC/TAF to other patients (76%). Among all baseline respondents, mean total HIV-SDM score was 23.5. On average, respondents experienced 10.7 overall symptoms (grades 1-4) and 3.8 bothersome symptoms (grades 3-4). Both satisfaction rate and occurrence of symptoms with DRV/c/FTC/TAF were stable between baseline and follow-up.

CONCLUSION

DRV/c/FTC/TAF therapy was associated with high patient satisfaction and patients taking DRV/c/FTC/TAF had a moderate HIV symptom burden. Patient experience and health-related quality of life during HIV therapy are important metrics that may help healthcare providers increase patient adherence.

Management of Antiretroviral Therapy with Boosted Protease Inhibitors-Darunavir/Ritonavir or Darunavir/Cobicistat

A major challenge in the management of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is to improve the patient's adherence, reducing the burden caused by the high number of drugs that compose the treatment regimens for human immunodeficiency virus positive (HIV+) patients. Selection of the most appropriate treatment regimen is responsible for therapeutic success and aims to reduce viremia, increase the immune system response capacity, and reduce the incidence rate and intensity of adverse reactions. In general, protease inhibitor (PI) is one of the pillars of regimens, and darunavir (DRV), in particular, is frequently recommended, along with low doses of enzyme inhibitors as cobicistat (COBI) or ritonavir (RTV), by the international guidelines. The potential of clinically significant drug interactions in patients taking COBI or RTV is high due to the potent inhibitory effect on cytochrome CYP 450, which attracts significant changes in the pharmacokinetics of PIs. Regardless of the patient or type of virus, the combined regimens of DRV/COBI or DRV/RTV are available to clinicians, proving their effectiveness, with a major impact on HIV mortality/morbidity. This study presents current information on the pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, drug interactions, and adverse reactions of DRV; it not only compares the bioavailability, pharmacokinetic parameters, immunological and virological responses, but also the efficacy, advantages, and therapeutic disadvantages of DRV/COBI or DRV/RTV combinations.

Health-related quality of life of people living with HIV infection in Spain: a gender perspective

Studies exploring gender differences in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are scarce and contradictory. This study evaluated gender differences in HRQOL of 744 PLWHA with median (IQR) age 44 (37-48) years and HIV infection diagnosed 12 (5-20) years earlier. Results showed important differences between genders (p < .05). Better male physical health was related to being employed, not having economic worries, not receiving psychological support, not having injected drugs in past, low negative mood HIV-related, low HIV illness representation and internalized stigma, and high body image satisfaction and health behavior. For women, variables were fewer years since HIV diagnosis and low enacted stigma-personal experience of rejection. Mentally, variables in men were being employed, not having injected drugs, having a stable partner, high health behavior, use of problem-solving coping, personal autonomy and personal meaning. In women, better mental health was related to high CD4 cells, self-esteem and body image satisfaction, and negative mood HIV-related. Men and women coincided in absence of past opportunistic infections being related to better physical and mental health, and absence of side effects for physical health and low HIV-related stress and HIV illness representation for mental health. Our results highlight the need for detailed study of gender differences that identify the bio-psycho-socio inequalities that affect HRQOL.

Respective roles of migration and social deprivation for virological non-suppression in HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy in France

Barriers to achieve sustained HIV virological suppression on antiretroviral therapy (ART) jeopardize the success of the 90:90:90 UNAIDS initiative which aims to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In France, where access to ART is free and universally available, we analyze the way in which social determinants of health (i.e. cultural, environmental) and economic factors might influence virological outcomes. A cross-sectional study was performed in two hospitals located in Paris area. All consecutive people living with HIV (PLHIV) on ART for at least 6 months attending the outpatient clinics between 01/05/2013 and 31/10/2014 answered an individual score of deprivation, EPICES, retrieving information on health insurance status, economic status, family support and leisure activity. This score varies from 0 to 100 with deprivation state defined above 30.17. Factors associated with HIV viral load >50 copies/ml were assessed by logistic regression modeling with a backward stepwise selection to select the final multivariable model. Sensitivity analyses were performed using two other thresholds for virological non-suppression (100 or 200 copies/ml). Overall, 475 PLHIV were included (53% male, median age 47 years, 66% not born in France mainly in a sub-Saharan African country). Half of French natives and 85% of migrants were classified as deprived. Median duration on ART was 9.7 years with virological suppression in 95.2% of non-deprived participants and in 83.5% of deprived ones (p = 0.001). The final multivariable model retained ART tiredness, younger age, a previous AIDS event and social deprivation (adjusted Odds Ratio, 2.9; 95%CI, 1.2–7.0) as determinants of virological non-suppression but not migration in itself. When using separate components of EPICES score, reporting economic difficulties and non-homeownership were associated with virological non-suppression. In addition to interventions focusing on cultural aspects of migration, social interventions are needed to help people with social vulnerability to obtain sustained responses on ART.

Coping Strategies for Adverse Effects of Antiretroviral Therapy among Adult HIV Patients Attending University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Adverse effects from antiretroviral therapy (ART) have an impact on quality of life and medication adherence. There is no clear understanding of how people manage the adverse effects of ART. The individual taking medications which cause serious adverse effects may choose to stop or reduce the medications to relieve the adverse effects. Hence, this study was aimed at assessing coping strategies for adverse effects of ART among adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at HIV clinic of University of Gondar Referral Hospital (UoGRH). A total of 394 study participants were recruited by systematic random sampling. Data were collected through interviewing patients. Data were entered to Epi-Info 3.5.4 and analyzed using SPSS-20.0. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient's sociodemographic data and the adverse effects of their ART regimen. Binary and multivariate logistic regressions were used to investigate the potential predictors of nonadherence coping strategies.

Results

The majorities of study participants were females (66%) and aged between 35 and 44 years (38.1%). The major adverse effects reported by the participants were headache (48.2%) followed by fatigability (18%) and loss of appetite (17.5%). Coping strategies used by HIV patients for adverse effect of ART were positive emotion coping strategy (91.1%), social support seeking (76.6%), taking other medications (76.6%), information seeking (48.7%), and nonadherence (35.5%). Younger age (AOR = 29.54, 95% CI = 2.49-35.25, p = 0.007), low level of education (AOR = 5.70, 95% CI = 2.16-15.05, p < 0.001), and living far from the health institution (AOR = 2.68, 95% CI = 1.29-5.57, p = 0.008) were associated with nonadherence coping strategy to relieve the adverse effects of ART.

Conclusion

The present study revealed that positive emotion coping was the most commonly used strategy. Age, level of education, and distance from health institution were the predictors of nonadherence coping strategy.

Health-related quality of life assessment among people living with HIV in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

To assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study including PLWHA receiving usual HIV-care at Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas (INI/Fiocruz) was conducted between 2014 and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The EQ-5D-3L assessed HRQoL; PHQ-2 and ASSIST were used for screening depression and substance use, respectively. Clinical variables were obtained from the INI/Fiocruz cohort database, and structured questions evaluated intimate partner violence, sexual abstinence and relationship status. Data were analysed using multivariable Tobit regression model.

RESULTS

A total of 1480 PLWHA were included: 64.7% were male at birth (38.4% men who have sex with men [MSM], 24.3% heterosexual men and 2% transgender women [TGW]); median age was 43.1 years, and 95.8% were receiving antiretroviral therapy. The median EQ-5D-3L utility score was 0.801. Results showed that the following factors: MSM and women; older age; lower educational level; no engagement in a relationship; depression screening positive; polysubstance use; and, detectable viral load were independently associated with worse HRQoL.

CONCLUSIONS

PLWHA under care at INI/Fiocruz presented good HRQoL. Polysubstance use, depression and lower educational level were among the factors negatively associated with HRQoL. This was the first time that the EQ-5D-3L utility scores were calculated for a considerable number of PLWHA in Brazil, which is a fundamental piece of information for future cost-effectiveness analysis.