HIV infection has been associated with an increased risk of fragility fracture. We explored whether or not this increased risk persisted in HIV infected and uninfected men when controlling for ...traditional fragility fracture risk factors.
Cox regression models were used to assess the association of HIV infection with the risk for incident hip, vertebral, or upper arm fracture in male Veterans enrolled in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Virtual Cohort (VACS-VC). We calculated adjusted hazard ratios comparing HIV status and controlling for demographics and other established risk factors. The sample consisted of 119,318 men, 33% of whom were HIV infected (34% aged 50 years or older at baseline, and 55% black or Hispanic). Median body mass index (BMI) was lower in HIV infected compared with uninfected men (25 vs. 28 kg/m²; p<0.0001). Unadjusted risk for fracture was higher among HIV infected compared with uninfected men HR: 1.32 (95% CI: 1.20, 1.47). After adjusting for demographics, comorbid disease, smoking and alcohol abuse, HIV infection remained associated with an increased fracture risk HR: 1.24 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.39). However, adjusting for BMI attenuated this association HR: 1.10 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.25). The only HIV-specific factor associated with fragility fracture was current protease inhibitor use HR: 1.41 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.70).
HIV infection is associated with fragility fracture risk. This risk is attenuated by BMI.
In aging HIV-infected populations comorbid diseases are important determinants of morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary diseases have not been systematically assessed in the combination antiretroviral ...therapy (ART) era.
To determine the incidence of pulmonary diseases in HIV-infected persons compared with HIV-uninfected persons.
We analyzed data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Virtual Cohort, consisting of 33,420 HIV-infected veterans and 66,840 age, sex, race and ethnicity, and site-matched HIV-uninfected veterans. Using Poisson regression, incidence rates and adjusted incidence rate ratios were calculated to determine the association of HIV with pulmonary disease. The Virtual Cohort was merged with the 1999 Veterans Large Health Survey to adjust for self-reported smoking in a nested sample (14%).
Incident chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis, as well as pulmonary infections, were significantly more likely among HIV-infected patients compared with uninfected patients in adjusted analyses, although rates of asthma did not differ by HIV status. Bacterial pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the two most common incident pulmonary diseases, whereas opportunistic pneumonias were less common. Absolute rates of most pulmonary diseases increased with age, although the relative differences between those with and without HIV infection were greatest in younger persons. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, as well as pulmonary infections, were less likely in those with lower HIV RNA levels and use of ART at baseline.
Pulmonary diseases among HIV-infected patients receiving care within the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in the combination ART era reflect a substantial burden of non-AIDS-defining and chronic conditions, many of which are associated with aging.
Objective: People with HIV (PWH) are at an increased risk of suicide and death from unintentional causes compared with people living without HIV. Broadening the categorization of death from suicide ...to self-injurious unnatural death (SIUD) may better identify a more complete set of modifiable risk factors that could be targeted for prevention efforts among PWH. Design: We conducted a nested case–control study using data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS), a longitudinal, observational cohort of Veterans from 2006–2015. A total of 5036 Veterans with HIV, of whom 461 died by SIUD, were included in the sample. Methods: SIUD was defined using the International Classification of Disease 10 th revision cause of death codes. Cases ( n = 461) included individuals who died by SIUD (intentional, unintentional, and undetermined causes of death). Controls ( n = 4575) were selected using incidence density sampling, matching on date of birth ± 1 year, race, sex, and HIV status. SIUD and suicide was estimated using conditional logistic regression. Results: A previous suicide attempt, a diagnosis of an affective disorder, recent use of benzodiazepines, psychiatric hospitalization, and living in the western US significantly increased the risk of suicide and SIUD. Risk factors that appear more important for SIUD than for suicide included a drug use disorder, alcohol use disorder, Hepatitis C, VACS Index 2.0, current smoking, and high pain levels (7–10). Conclusion: Limiting studies to known suicides obscures the larger public health burden of excess deaths from self-injurious behavior. Our findings demonstrate the benefit of expanding the focus to SIUD for the identification of modifiable risk factors that could be targeted for treatment.
Patterns of comorbidity among persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are not well described. We compared comorbidity among veterans with and without HIV infection. The sample consisted of ...33,420 HIV-infected veterans and 66,840 HIV-uninfected veterans. We identified and clustered 11 comorbid conditions using validated International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes. We defined multimorbidity as the presence of conditions in all clusters. Models restricted to HIV-infected veterans were adjusted for CD4 cell count and viral load. Comorbidity was common (prevalence, 60%–63%), and prevalence varied by HIV status. Differences remained when the veterans were stratified by age. In multivariable analyses, older HIV-infected veterans were more likely to have substance use disorder and multimorbidity. Renal, vascular, and pulmonary diseases were associated with CD4 cell count <200 cells/mm3; hypertension was associated with CD4 cell count >200 cells/mm3. Comorbidity is the rule, and multimorbidity is common among veterans with HIV infection. Patterns of comorbidity differ substantially by HIV status, age, and HIV severity. Primary care guidelines require adaptation for persons with HIV infection.
Examine the relationship between perioperative glucose control and postoperative infections in a nationwide sample of diabetic patients undergoing a wide variety of surgical procedures.
Perioperative ...glucose control has been linked to postoperative infections after selected surgical procedures.
Retrospective analysis of surgical outcomes data from 1999 to 2004 on 55,408 patients with diabetes undergoing a variety of noncardiac operations contained in the Veterans Heath Administration National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, supplemented with the Veterans Heath Administration Decision Support Services hemoglobin A1c (HbA(₁c)) and serum glucose data. Multivariate Poisson regression model of postoperative infection including demographics, comorbidities, functional status, preoperative laboratories, surgical data, and glucose control (diabetes medications, serum glucose, HbA(₁c), mean serum glucose within 24 hours after surgery).
The most common procedures were herniorrhaphy (10%), carotid endarterectomy (6.6%), and open colectomy (5.6%). Mean (SD) preoperative HbA1c concentration was 7.9% (2.3); 51% of patients had preoperative serum glucose concentrations more than 150 mg/dL; and 72% of patients had a mean 24 hour postoperative glucose concentration at least 150 mg/dL. The overall postoperative infection rate was 8.0%. Higher rates of postoperative infection were associated with mean 24 hour postoperative serum glucose concentrations of 150 to 250 mg/dL (incidence rate ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.43; P = 0.01) and more than 250 mg/dL (incidence rate ratio: 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.71; P < 0.001). Preoperative HbA1c and glucose concentrations were not associated with increased infection rates.
In a large nationwide sample of diabetic patients undergoing a variety of noncardiac surgical procedures, glucose control in the first 24 hours after surgery was poor, and mean serum glucose concentrations of 150 mg/dL and higher during this time period were associated with increased rates of postoperative infectious complications.
Background. It is unclear if the risk of liver disease associated with different levels of alcohol consumption is higher for patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or chronic ...hepatitis C virus (HCV). We evaluated associations between alcohol use categories and advanced hepatic fibrosis, by HIV and chronic HCV status. Methods. We performed a cross-sectional study among participants in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study who reported alcohol consumption at enrollment (701 HIV/HCV-coinfected; 1410 HIV-monoinfected; 296 HCV-monoinfected; 1158 HIV/HCV-uninfected). Alcohol use category was determined by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test–Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire and alcohol-related diagnoses and was classified as nonhazardous drinking, hazardous/binge drinking, or alcohol-related diagnosis. Advanced hepatic fibrosis was defined by FIB-4 index >3.25. Results. Within each HIV/HCV group, the prevalence of advanced hepatic fibrosis increased as alcohol use category increased. For each alcohol use category, advanced hepatic fibrosis was more common among HIV-infected than uninfected (nonhazardous: 6.7% vs 1.4%; hazardous/binge: 9.5% vs 3.0%; alcohol-related diagnosis: 19.0% vs 8.6%; P < .01 ) and chronic HCV-infected than uninfected (nonhazardous: 13.6% vs 2.5%; hazardous/binge: 18.2% vs 3.1%; alcohol-related diagnosis: 22.1% vs 6.5%; P < .01) participants. Strong associations with advanced hepatic fibrosis (adjusted odds ratio 95% confidence interval) were observed among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with nonhazardous drinking (14.2 5.91–34.0), hazardous/binge drinking (18.9 7.98–44.8), and alcohol-related diagnoses (25.2 10.6–59.7) compared with uninfected nonhazardous drinkers. Conclusions. Advanced hepatic fibrosis was present at low levels of alcohol consumption, increased with higher alcohol use categories, and was more prevalent among HIV-infected and chronic HCV-infected patients than uninfected individuals. All alcohol use categories were strongly associated with advanced hepatic fibrosis in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.
The rate of suicide among people with HIV (PWH) remains elevated compared to the general population. The aim of the study was to examine the association between a broad range of risk factors, ...HIV-specific risk factors, and suicide. We conducted a nested case-control study using data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) between 2006 and 2015. The risk of suicide was estimated using conditional logistic regression and models were stratified by HIV status. Most risk factors associated with suicide were similar between PWH and people without HIV; these included affective disorders, use of benzodiazepines, and mental health treatment. Among PWH, HIV-specific risk factors were not associated with suicide. A multiplicative interaction was observed between a diagnosis of HIV and a previous suicide attempt. Among PWH, a high prevalence of psychiatric, substance use disorders and multimorbidity contribute to the risk of suicide.
Objective
Chronic pain is a significant concern for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), with chronic pain conditions among those most frequently reported by Operation Enduring Freedom ...(OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/Operation New Dawn (OND) veterans. The current study examined VHA electronic medical record data to examine variation in demographics and high prevalence and high impact medical and mental health conditions in order to characterize the differences between patients with persistent pain and no pain.
Design
A conservative operational definition of chronic or “persistent pain” based on multiple indicators of pain (i.e., pain intensity ratings, prescription opioids, pain clinic visits, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes) was employed. Analyses included the entire roster of longitudinal clinical data on OEF/OIF/OND veterans who used VHA care to compare those with persistent pain with those with no clinical evidence of pain.
Results
Results of logistic regression models suggest that sex, race, education, military variables, body mass index (BMI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and mental health conditions, but not age, reliably discriminate the two groups. Those with persistent pain were more likely to be Black, female, on active duty, enlisted, Army service members, have a high school education or less, and have diagnoses of mood disorders, post‐traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, TBI, and have a BMI consistent with overweight and obesity.
Conclusions
The operational definition of chronic pain used in this study may have research implications for examining predictors of incident and chronic pain. These data have important clinical implications in that addressing comorbid conditions of persistent pain may improve adaptive coping and functioning in these patients.
Persons living with HIV (PWH) are at elevated risk for suicide. We conducted a systematic literature review following PRISMA-P guidelines to examine risk factors associated with suicide as a cause of ...morbidity among PWH. We searched six electronic databases using search terms (suicide, suicide attempt, self-harm, self-injurious behavior, HIV, AIDS, PWH). We focused on factors that were specific to HIV infection (CD4 count, HIV-1 RNA, and antiretroviral therapy ART). The initial search yielded N = 2657 studies. Eligible studies included suicide as an outcome, quantitative study design, and publication in peer-reviewed journals from 1996 through 2020. Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria. PWH share risk factors for suicide found in the general population: psychiatric illness, previous suicide attempt, drug and alcohol misuse. PWH also have HIV-specific risk factors for suicide. HIV diagnosis in the past two years and transmission related to injection drug use were associated with increased risk; HIV-1 RNA, ART, and AIDS-defining illness were not.
PDF
