Vision Problems As a Contributor to Lower Engagement in Care Among Aging Men Living with HIV.

PURPOSE: To investigate vision impairment as a barrier to engagement in medical care among aging persons living with HIV (PLWH) who experience multimorbidity and complex care needs. SETTING: Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), a prospective observational cohort of aging PLWH men. METHODS: We examined relationships of self-reported vision difficulty with indicators of care engagement: 1) adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART; defined as taking ≥95% of medications); 2) self-reported avoidance of medical care; 3) self-reported tendency to ask a doctor questions about care (>2 questions at a medical visit), as well as with quality of life. A modified version of the National Eye Institute Vision Function Questionnaire was administered at three semi-annual visits (from October 2017 to March 2019) to assess difficulty performing vision-dependent tasks. RESULTS: We included 1063 PLWH (median age 57 years, 31% Black). Data on care engagement outcomes were analyzed using repeated measures logistic regression with generalized estimating equations adjusted for race, and at visit values for age, education level, depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and smoking status. Compared to no vision difficulty, those reporting moderate to extreme vision difficulty on at least one task had 2.2 times higher odds (95% CI: 1.4, 3.4) of having less than optimal ART adherence, 1.9 times higher odds (95% CI: 1.1, 3.4) of avoiding necessary medical care and median quality of life scores 8 points lower. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest vision impairment decreases medical care engagement including HIV care and quality of life among aging PLWH.

Intersectionality of Socioecological Factors Associated With Cognitive Function Among Older Women With HIV in the United States: A Structural Equation Model Analysis Using Data From the Women's Interagency HIV Study.

ABSTRACT: Increased life expectancy of people with HIV has health implications including the intersection of the long-term use of antiretroviral treatment, inflammatory events, and age-related immunosenescence. In a cross-sectional study utilizing using the Socio-Eecological Model, we identified pathways of cognitive function (CF) among 448 women with HIV, 50 years and older. A structural equation model showed the direct effects of mood (ß = -0.25, p < .01), comorbidities (ß = --0.13, p < .05), race (ß = --0.13, p < .05), and abuse (ß = 0.27, p < .001) on the latent variable CF. Substance and alcohol use, depressive symptoms, cigarette smoking, and the number of comorbidities are important considerations when designing interventions utilizing using a multi-level and intersectional lens to maximize positive CF outcomes.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among People Living With HIV Compared With People Without HIV: Survey Results From the MACS-WIHS Combined Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms among people living with HIV (PLWH) are not well described. SETTING: Longitudinal survey within the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) of PLWH compared with similar HIV-seronegative (SN) individuals. METHODS: Telephone-administered survey of MWCCS participants at 13 clinical research sites across the United States addressing COVID-19 symptoms, SARS-CoV-2 testing, and pandemic impact on social distancing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) use. Primary data collection occurred during May (wave 1), June-July (wave 2), and August-September, 2020 (wave 3). RESULTS: One-third of MWCCS participants were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection; 10% was tested ≥2 times. Similar proportions of PLWH and SN participants were tested, but SARS-CoV-2 positivity was higher among PLWH than among SN individuals (9.4% vs 4.8%, P = 0.003). Odds of SARS-CoV-2 positivity remained higher among PLWH after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and study site (adjusted odds ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval = 1.2 to 3.2). SARS-CoV-2 positivity was not associated with CD4 cell counts among PLWH. Among SARS-CoV-2 positive participants, 9% had no symptoms, 7% had 1-2 mild symptoms, and 84% had ≥3 symptoms. Most of the (98%) participants reported physical distancing during all survey waves; self-reported ART adherence among PLWH was not adversely affected during the pandemic compared with the previous year (similar adherence in 89% of participants, improved in 9% of participants, and decreased in 2% of participants). CONCLUSIONS: Despite similar SARS-CoV-2 testing and physical distancing profiles by HIV serostatus among MWCCS participants, PLWH who reported SARS-CoV-2 testing were more likely to have a positive test result. Additional studies are needed to determine whether and why PLWH are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Associations between population density and clinical and sociodemographic factors in women living with HIV in the Southern United States.

To explore the associations of urbanicity with clinical/behavioral outcomes and sociodemographic factors among women living with HIV in the Southern United States, 523 participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study were classified into population density quartiles. Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes revealed that 7% resided in areas where >30% commute to urban areas, 2% resided in small towns or rural areas, and 91% resided in varying densities of urban areas. Although women in lower density, mostly suburban areas reported higher socioeconomic indicators such as advanced education and greater annual household income, larger proportions of women in the lowest density quartile perceived discrimination in health care settings and agreed with several internalized HIV stigma scale items. Women in the lower quartiles had higher CD4 counts, while those in the lowest quartile were more likely to have a suppressed HIV viral load, report being employed, and not report a history of drug use or current heavy alcohol use. More research is needed to understand the interplay between population density and mechanisms contributing to HIV control as well as increased internalized stigma and perceived discrimination, along with how to target interventions to improve outcomes for individuals with HIV across urban, suburban, and rural areas.

African Mitochondrial DNA Haplogroup L2 Is Associated With Slower Decline of ß-cell Function and Lower Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus in Non-Hispanic, Black Women Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

BACKGROUND: Susceptibility to metabolic diseases may be influenced by mitochondrial genetic variability among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH), but remains unexplored in populations with African ancestry. We investigated the association between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups and the homeostatic model assessments of ß-cell function (HOMA-B) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), as well as incident diabetes mellitus (DM), among Black women living with or at risk for HIV. METHODS: Women without DM who had fasting glucose (FG) and insulin (FI) data for ≥2 visits were included. Haplogroups were inferred from genotyping data using HaploGrep. HOMA-B and HOMA-IR were calculated using FG and FI data. Incident DM was defined by a combination of FG ≥ 126 mg/dL, the use of DM medication, a DM diagnosis, or hemoglobin A1c ≥ 6.5%. We compared HOMA-B, HOMA-IR, and incident DM by haplogroups and assessed the associations between HOMA-B and HOMA-IR and DM by haplogroup. RESULTS: Of 1288 women (933 living with HIV and 355 living without HIV), PLWH had higher initial HOMA-B and HOMA-IR than people living without HIV. PLWH with haplogroup L2 had a slower decline in HOMA-B per year (Pinteraction = .02) and a lower risk of incident DM (hazard ratio [HR], 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], .32-.82) than PLWH with other haplogroups after adjustments for age, body mass index, combination antiretroviral therapy use, CD4 cell counts, and HIV RNA. The impact of HOMA-IR on incident DM was less significant in those with haplogroup L2, compared to non-L2 (HR, 1.28 [95% CI, .70-2.38] vs 4.13 [95% CI, 3.28-5.22], respectively; Pinteraction < .01), among PLWH. CONCLUSIONS: Mitochondrial genetic variation is associated with ß-cell functions and incident DM in non-Hispanic, Black women with HIV and alters the relationship between insulin resistance and DM.

Increased Risk of Myocardial Infarction in HIV-Infected Individuals in North America Compared With the General Population.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among HIV-infected individuals have been limited by the inability to validate and differentiate atherosclerotic type 1 myocardial infarctions (T1MIs) from other events. We sought to define the incidence of T1MIs and risk attributable to traditional and HIV-specific factors among participants in the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD) and compare adjusted incidence rates (IRs) to the general population Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort. METHODS: We ascertained and adjudicated incident MIs among individuals enrolled in 7 NA-ACCORD cohorts between 1995 and 2014. We calculated IRs, adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs), and 95% confidence intervals of risk factors for T1MI using Poisson regression. We compared aIRRs of T1MIs in NA-ACCORD with those from ARIC. RESULTS: Among 29,169 HIV-infected individuals, the IR for T1MIs was 2.57 (2.30 to 2.86) per 1000 person-years, and the aIRR was significantly higher compared with participants in ARIC [1.30 (1.09 to 1.56)]. In multivariable analysis restricted to HIV-infected individuals and including traditional CVD risk factors, the rate of T1MI increased with decreasing CD4 count [≥500 cells/µL: ref; 350-499 cells/µL: aIRR = 1.32 (0.98 to 1.77); 200-349 cells/µL: aIRR = 1.37 (1.01 to 1.86); 100-199 cells/µL: aIRR = 1.60 (1.09 to 2.34); <100 cells/µL: aIRR = 2.19 (1.44 to 3.33)]. Risk associated with detectable HIV RNA [<400 copies/mL: ref; ≥400 copies/mL: aIRR = 1.36 (1.06 to 1.75)] was significantly increased only when CD4 was excluded. CONCLUSIONS: The higher incidence of T1MI in HIV-infected individuals and increased risk associated with lower CD4 count and detectable HIV RNA suggest that early suppressive antiretroviral treatment and aggressive management of traditional CVD risk factors are necessary to maximally reduce MI risk.

Retention, Antiretroviral Therapy Use and Viral Suppression by History of Injection Drug Use Among HIV-Infected Patients in an Urban HIV Clinical Cohort.

Compared to HIV-infected persons who do not inject drugs (non-IDU), persons who inject drugs (PWID) experience disparities in linking to medical care, initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) and achieving viral suppression. There has been little attention to changes in these disparities over time. We estimated the proportion of PWID and non-IDU retained in care, on ART, and virally suppressed each year from 2001-2012 in the Johns Hopkins HIV Clinical Cohort (JHHCC). We defined active clinic patients as those who had ≥1 clinical visit, CD4 cell count, or viral load between July 1 of the prior year, and June 30 of the analysis year. Within a calendar year, retention was defined as ≥2 clinical visits or HIV-related laboratory measurements >90 days; ART use was defined as ≥1 ART prescription active ≥30 days; and viral suppression was defined as ≥1 HIV viral load <400 copies/mL. While PWID were less likely to be retained in earlier years, the gaps in retention closed around 2010. After 2003-2004, PWID and non-IDU retained in care had similar probability of receiving a prescription for ART and PWID and non-IDU on ART had similar probability of viral suppression.

Association of injection drug use with incidence of HIV-associated non-AIDS-related morbidity by age, 1995-2014.

OBJECTIVE: Incidence of HIV-associated non-AIDS (HANA) related comorbidities is increasing in HIV-infected individuals. Our objective was to estimate the risk of HANA comorbidity associated with history of injection drug use (IDU) correctly accounting for higher death rates among people who inject drugs (PWID). DESIGN: We followed HIV-infected persons aged 25-59 years who enrolled in the Johns Hopkins HIV Clinical Cohort between 1995 and May 2014, from enrollment until HANA comorbidity diagnosis, death, age 60, or administrative censoring. METHODS: We compared cumulative incidence ('risk'), by age, of validated diagnoses of HANA comorbidities among HIV-infected PWID and non-IDU; specifically, we considered end-stage renal disease (ESRD), end-stage liver disease (ESLD), myocardial infarction, stroke, and non-AIDS-defining cancer. We used competing risk methods appropriate to account for death, standardized to the marginal distribution of baseline covariates, and adjusted for potential differential loss-to-clinic. RESULTS: Of 5490 patients included in this analysis, 37% reported IDU as an HIV transmission risk. By age 55 years, PWID had higher risk of ESLD [risk difference = 6.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.9, 15.5] and ESRD (risk difference = 11.1, 95% CI: 1.2, 21.0) than did non-IDU. Risk of myocardial infarction and stroke were similar among PWID and non-IDU. Risk of non-AIDS-defining cancer was lower among PWID than among non-IDU (risk difference at 55 years: -4.9, 95% CI: -11.2, 1.3). CONCLUSION: Not all HANA comorbidities occur with higher incidence in PWID compared with non-IDU. However, higher incidence of ESRD and ESLD among PWIDs highlights the importance of recognition and management of markers of these comorbidities in early stages among PWID.

Failure to sustain prepulse inhibition in adolescent marijuana users.

BACKGROUND: Marijuana use is typically initiated during adolescence, which is a critical period for neural development. Studies have reported reductions in prepulse inhibition (PPI) among adults who use marijuana chronically, although no human studies have been conducted during the critical adolescent period. METHODS: This study tested PPI of acoustic startle among adolescents who were either frequent marijuana users or naïve to the drug (Controls). Adolescents were tested using two intensities of prepulses (70 and 85 dB) combined with a 105 dB startle stimulus, delivered across two testing blocks. RESULTS: There was a significant interaction of group by block for PPI; marijuana users experienced a greater decline in the PPI across the testing session than Controls. The change in PPI of response magnitude for users was predicted by change in urine THC/creatinine after at least 18 h of abstinence, the number of joints used during the previous week before testing, as well as self-reported DSM-IV symptoms of marijuana tolerance, and time spent using marijuana rather than participating in other activities. CONCLUSIONS: These outcomes suggest that adolescents who are frequent marijuana users have problems maintaining prepulse inhibition, possibly due to lower quality of information processing or sustained attention, both of may contribute to continued marijuana use as well as attrition from marijuana treatment.