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Background: To assess the possible impact of antiretroviral therapy improvements, aging, and comorbidities, we examined trends in all-cause and cause-specific hospitalization rates among persons with HIV (PWH) from 2005 to 2015.Methods: In 6 clinical cohorts, we followed PWH in care (≥1 outpatient CD4 count or HIV load [VL] every 12 months) and categorized ICD codes of primary discharge diagnoses using modified Clinical Classifications Software. Poisson regression estimated hospitalization rate ratios for calendar time trends, adjusted for demographics, HIV risk factor, and annually updated age, CD4, and VL.Results: Among 28 057 patients (125 724 person-years), from 2005 to 2015, the median CD4 increased from 389 to 580 cells/µL and virologic suppression from 55% to 85% of patients. Unadjusted all-cause hospitalization rates decreased from 22.3 per 100 person-years in 2005 (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.6-24.1) to 13.0 in 2015 (95% CI, 12.2-14.0). Unadjusted rates decreased for almost all diagnostic categories. Adjusted rates decreased for all-cause, cardiovascular, and AIDS-defining conditions, increased for non-AIDS-defining infection, and were stable for most other categories.Conclusions: Among PWH with increasing CD4 counts and viral suppression, unadjusted hospitalization rates decreased for all-cause and most cause-specific hospitalizations, despite the potential effects of aging, comorbidities, and cumulative exposure to HIV and antiretrovirals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly increased survival among HIV-positive adults in the United States (U.S.) and Canada, but gains in life expectancy for this region have not been well characterized. We aim to estimate temporal changes in life expectancy among HIV-positive adults on ART from 2000–2007 in the U.S. and Canada. Methods: Participants were from the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD), aged ≥20 years and on ART. Mortality rates were calculated using participants' person-time from January 1, 2000 or ART initiation until death, loss to follow-up, or administrative censoring December 31, 2007. Life expectancy at age 20, defined as the average number of additional years that a person of a specific age will live, provided the current age-specific mortality rates remain constant, was estimated using abridged life tables. Results: The crude mortality rate was 19.8/1,000 person-years, among 22,937 individuals contributing 82,022 person-years and 1,622 deaths. Life expectancy increased from 36.1 [standard error (SE) 0.5] to 51.4 [SE 0.5] years from 2000–2002 to 2006–2007. Men and women had comparable life expectancies in all periods except the last (2006–2007). Life expectancy was lower for individuals with a history of injection drug use, non-whites, and in patients with baseline CD4 counts <350 cells/mm3. Conclusions: A 20-year-old HIV-positive adult on ART in the U.S. or Canada is expected to live into their early 70 s, a life expectancy approaching that of the general population. Differences by sex, race, HIV transmission risk group, and CD4 count remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Screening for tuberculosis prior to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation is not routinely performed in low-incidence settings. Identifying factors associated with developing tuberculosis after HAART initiation could focus screening efforts. Methods. Sixteen cohorts in the United States and Canada contributed data on persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who initiated HAART December 1995-August 2009. Parametric survival models identified factors associated with tuberculosis occurrence. Results. Of 37845 persons in the study, 145 were diagnosed with tuberculosis after HAART initiation. Tuberculosis risk was highest in the first 3 months of HAART (20 cases; 215 cases per 100000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 131-333 per 100000 person-years). In a multivariate Weibull proportional hazards model, baseline CD4+ lymphocyte count <200, black race, other nonwhite race, Hispanic ethnicity, and history of injection drug use were independently associated with tuberculosis risk. In addition, in a piece-wise Weibull model, increased baseline HIV-1 RNA was associated with increased tuberculosis risk in the first 3 months; male sex tended to be associated with increased risk. Conclusions. Screening for active tuberculosis prior to HAART initiation should be targeted to persons with baseline CD4 <200 lymphocytes/mm³ or increased HIV-1 RNA, persons of nonwhite race or Hispanic ethnicity, history of injection drug use, and possibly male sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed CD4 count at initial presentation for HIV care among ≥50-year-olds from 1997-2007 in 13 US and Canadian clinical cohorts and compared to <50-year-olds. 44,491 HIV-infected individuals in the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD) were included in our study. Trends in mean CD4 count (measured as cells/mm³) and 95% confidence intervals ([,]) were determined using linear regression stratified by age category and adjusted for gender, race/ethnicity, HIV transmission risk and cohort. From 1997-2007, the proportion of individuals presenting for HIV care who were ≥50-years-old increased from 17% to 27% (p-value < 0.01). The median CD4 count among ≥50 year-olds was consistently lower than younger adults. The interaction of age group and calendar year was significant (p-value <0.01) with both age groups experiencing modest annual improvements over time (< 50-year-olds: 5[4 , 6] cells/mm³; ≥50-year-olds: 7[5 , 9] cells/mm³), after adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, HIV transmission risk group and cohort; however, increases in the two groups were similar after 2000. A greater proportion of older individuals had an AIDS-defining diagnosis at, or within three months prior to, first presentation for HIV care compared to younger individuals (13% vs. 10%, respectively). Due to the increasing proportion, consistently lower CD4 counts, and more advanced HIV disease in adults ≥50-year-old at first presentation for HIV care, renewed HIV testing efforts are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospital readmission trends for persons with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) in North America in the context of policy changes, improved antiretroviral therapy (ART), and aging are not well-known. We examined readmissions during 2005-2018 among adult PWH in NA-ACCORD., Methods: Linear risk regression estimated calendar trends in 30-day readmissions, adjusted for demographics, CD4 count, AIDS history, virologic suppression (<400 copies/mL), and cohort., Results: We examined 20 189 hospitalizations among 8823 PWH (73% cisgender men, 38% White, 38% Black). PWH hospitalized in 2018 versus 2005 had higher median age (54 vs 44 years), CD4 count (469 vs 274 cells/μL), and virologic suppression (83% vs 49%). Unadjusted 30-day readmissions decreased from 20.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.9%-22.3%) in 2005 to 16.3% (95% CI, 14.1%-18.5%) in 2018. Absolute annual trends were -0.34% (95% CI, -.48% to -.19%) in unadjusted and -0.19% (95% CI, -.35% to -.02%) in adjusted analyses. By index hospitalization reason, there were significant adjusted decreases only for cardiovascular and psychiatric hospitalizations. Readmission reason was most frequently in the same diagnostic category as the index hospitalization., Conclusions: Readmissions decreased over 2005-2018 but remained higher than the general population's. Significant decreases after adjusting for CD4 count and virologic suppression suggest that factors alongside improved ART contributed to lower readmissions. Efforts are needed to further prevent readmissions in PWH., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. K. N. A. reports grants to their institution from NIH; royalties or licenses from Coursera; and consulting fees from NIH and TrioHealth. R. J. B. reports grants to their institution from NIH and support for travel from NIH. J. A. C. reports grants to their institution from NIH and payment or honoraria from Prime Education and Integritas Communications. H. M. C. reports grants to their institution from AHRQ, NIH, and ViiV Healthcare; and participation in a data and safety monitoring board (DSMB) or advisory board for Gilead Sciences, NIH Office of AIDS Research, and ViiV Healthcare. J. J. E. reports grants to their institution from NIH, ViiV Healthcare, Gilead Sciences, and Janssen; consulting fees from ViiV Healthcare, Gilead Sciences, and Merck & Co; and participation on a DSMB or advisory board for TAIMED. K. A. G. reports grants to their institution from the US Department of Defense, NIH, Mental Wellness Foundation, HealthNetwork Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Defense Health Agency, the State of Maryland, Octapharma, Moriah Fund, and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; consulting fees from Spark HealthCare, Teach for America, and Aspen Institute; and participation on a DSMB or advisory board for Pfizer. M. J. G. reports grants to their institution from NIH; and participation on a DSMB or advisor board for Merck & Co, Gilead Sciences, and ViiV Healthcare. B. C. H. reports grants to their institution from NIH. M. A. H. reports grants to their institution from NIH. M. Y. K. reports grants to their institution from Gilead Sciences and ViiV Healthcare; payment or honoraria to their institution from Practice Point Communications CME; leadership in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Underrepresented Populations Committee (Vice Chair) with payments to their institution; and uncompensated leadership on the Being Alive San Diego Board (member). M. B. K. reports grants to their institution from NIH, ViiV Healthcare, AbbVie, and Gilead Sciences; and consulting fees from ViiV Healthcare, AbbVie, and Gilead Sciences. R. L. reports support for travel from CIHR. V. D. L. reports grants to their institution from CIHR; payment or honoraria from ViiV Healthcare; support for travel from the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections; and participation on a DSMB or advisory board for the Providence Health Care Ethics Board. R. D. M. reports grants to their institution from NIH. S. N. reports grants to their institution from NIH. A. N. reports grants to their institution from Gilead Sciences. P. F. R. reports grants to their institution from NIH and consulting fees from Gilead Sciences and Janssen. J. E. T. reports grants to their institution from the National Eye Institute and ACTG; consulting fees from Gilead Sciences, Canfield, and UpToDate; participation on a DSMB or advisory board for NEI and Tarsier; stock or stock options in Tarsier; and fees for serving as Editor-in-Chief for Ocular Immunology and Inflammation. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

A care cascade is a critical tool for evaluating delivery of care for chronic infections across sequential stages, starting with diagnosis and ending with viral suppression. However, there have been few data describing the hepatitis B virus (HBV) care cascade among people living with HIV infection who have HBV coinfection. We conducted a cross-sectional study among people living with HIV and HBV coinfection receiving care between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016 within 13 United States and Canadian clinical cohorts contributing data to the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD). We evaluated each of the steps in this cascade, including: 1) laboratory-confirmed HBV infection, 2) tenofovir-based or entecavir-based HBV therapy prescribed, 3) HBV DNA measured during treatment, and 4) viral suppression achieved via undetectable HBV DNA. Among 3,953 persons with laboratory-confirmed HBV (median age, 50 years; 6.5% female; 43.8% were Black; 7.1% were Hispanic), 3,592 (90.9%; 95% confidence interval, 90.0-91.8%) were prescribed tenofovir-based antiretroviral therapy or entecavir along with their antiretroviral therapy regimen, 2,281 (57.7%; 95% confidence interval, 56.2-59.2%) had HBV DNA measured while on therapy, and 1,624 (41.1%; 95% confidence interval, 39.5-42.6) achieved an undetectable HBV DNA during HBV treatment. Our study identified significant gaps in measurement of HBV DNA and suppression of HBV viremia among people living with HIV and HBV coinfection in the United States and Canada. Periodic evaluation of the HBV care cascade among persons with HIV/HBV will be critical to monitoring success in completion of each step., Competing Interests: J.T. reports grants to her institution from the City of Philadelphia ID/SUD Care Integration Pilot. K.N.A. reports grants to her institution from the National Institute of Health (NIH), royalties from Coursera, and consulting fees from NIH and TrioHealth. M.B.K. reports grants from Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Fonds de recherché Quebec –Sante, NIH, ViiV Health Care, Gilead Sciences, and Abbvie; consulting fees from ViiV Health Care, Gilead Sciences, and Abbvie; leadership role in the CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network; and receipt of goods/services from Siga Technologies. K.R.R. reports grants to his institution from Mallinckrodt, Exact Sciences, BMS, Intercept, Merck, Gilead, Grifols, Sequana, HCC-TARGET, NASH-TARGET, and BioVie; royalties from UpToDate; consulting fees from Spark Therapeutics, Mallinckrodt, Genfit, and Novo Nordisk; paid board participation from Novartis; and leadership roles in Gastroenterology and AASLD Task Force for COVID Activities. E.R.C. reports grants to his institution from Gilead Sciences and board participation in THERAtechnologies. J.K.L. reports grants to his institution from Intercept, Gilead, Viking, Pfizer, Eiger, Inventiva, and Novo Nordisk and leadership roles in the American Association for Study of Liver Diseases, American Gastroenterological Association, and American College of Gastroenterology. M.J.G. reports participation on the HIV national advisory boards for Merck, Gilead, and Viiv. K.C. reports grants to her institution from Merck Sharp & Dohme and Amgen; consulting fees from Pardes Bioscences; honoraria payments from International Antiviral Society-USA; and participation in the UCSF Safety Monitoring Committee. M.H. reports grants from Gilead Life Science for an investigator initiated study and participation in the data safety monitoring board for the M2HepPreP study. G.D.K. reports grants to his institution from NIH. K.A.G. reports grants to her institution from NIH, US Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency, State of Maryland, Octapharma, Mental Wellness Foundation, HealthNetwork Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Moriah Fund; royalties from UpToDate; consulting fees from Spark HealthCare, Teach for America, and Aspen Institute; and unpaid advisor participation on a Pfizer scientific advisory board. H.N.K. reports grants to her institution from Gilead Sciences. V.L.R. reports grants to his institution from NIH and a leadership role in the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology. All other authors reported no conflicts of interest. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials., (Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.)

Background: Persons with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) with persistently low CD4 counts despite efficacious antiretroviral therapy could have higher hospitalization risk., Methods: In 6 US and Canadian clinical cohorts, PWH with virologic suppression for ≥1 year in 2005-2015 were followed until virologic failure, loss to follow-up, death, or study end. Stratified by early (years 2-5) and long-term (years 6-11) suppression and lowest presuppression CD4 count <200 and ≥200 cells/µL, Poisson regression models estimated hospitalization incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) comparing patients by time-updated CD4 count category, adjusted for cohort, age, gender, calendar year, suppression duration, and lowest presuppression CD4 count., Results: The 6997 included patients (19 980 person-years) were 81% cisgender men and 40% white. Among patients with lowest presuppression CD4 count <200 cells/μL (44%), patients with current CD4 count 200-350 vs >500 cells/μL had aIRRs of 1.44 during early suppression (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-2.06), and 1.67 (95% CI, 1.03-2.72) during long-term suppression. Among patients with lowest presuppression CD4 count ≥200 (56%), patients with current CD4 351-500 vs >500 cells/μL had an aIRR of 1.22 (95% CI, .93-1.60) during early suppression and 2.09 (95% CI, 1.18-3.70) during long-term suppression., Conclusions: Virologically suppressed patients with lower CD4 counts experienced higher hospitalization rates and could potentially benefit from targeted clinical management strategies., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: To examine recent trends and differences in all-cause and cause-specific hospitalization rates by race, ethnicity, and gender among persons with HIV (PWH) in the United States and Canada., Design: HIV clinical cohort consortium., Methods: We followed PWH at least 18 years old in care 2005-2015 in six clinical cohorts. We used modified Clinical Classifications Software to categorize hospital discharge diagnoses. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were estimated using Poisson regression with robust variances to compare racial and ethnic groups, stratified by gender, adjusted for cohort, calendar year, injection drug use history, and annually updated age, CD4+, and HIV viral load., Results: Among 27 085 patients (122 566 person-years), 80% were cisgender men, 1% transgender, 43% White, 33% Black, 17% Hispanic of any race, and 1% Indigenous. Unadjusted all-cause hospitalization rates were higher for Black [IRR 1.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-1.61] and Indigenous (1.99, 1.44-2.74) versus White cisgender men, and for Indigenous versus White cisgender women (2.55, 1.68-3.89). Unadjusted AIDS-related hospitalization rates were also higher for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous versus White cisgender men (all P < 0.05). Transgender patients had 1.50 times (1.05-2.14) and cisgender women 1.37 times (1.26-1.48) the unadjusted hospitalization rate of cisgender men. In adjusted analyses, among both cisgender men and women, Black patients had higher rates of cardiovascular and renal/genitourinary hospitalizations compared to Whites (all P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, women, and transgender PWH in the United States and Canada experienced substantially higher hospitalization rates than White patients and cisgender men, respectively. Disparities likely have several causes, including differences in virologic suppression and chronic conditions such as diabetes and renal disease., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Research is needed to better understand relations between immunosuppression and HIV viraemia and risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a common cancer in people living with HIV. We aimed to identify key CD4 count and HIV RNA (viral load) predictors of risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, overall and by subtype., Methods: We studied people living with HIV during 1996-2014 from 21 Canadian and US cohorts participating in the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design. To determine key independent predictors of risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, we assessed associations with time-updated recent, past, cumulative, and nadir or peak measures of CD4 count and viral load, using demographics-adjusted, cohort-stratified Cox models, and we compared models using Akaike's information criterion., Findings: Of 102 131 people living with HIV during the study period, 712 people developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The key independent predictors of risk for overall non-Hodgkin lymphoma were recent CD4 count (ie, lagged by 6 months; <50 cells per μL vs ≥500 cells per μL, hazard ratio [HR] 3·2, 95% CI 2·2-4·7) and average viral load during a 3-year window lagged by 6 months (a cumulative measure; ≥100 000 copies per mL vs ≤500 copies per mL, HR 9·6, 95% CI 6·5-14·0). These measures were also the key predictors of risk for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (recent CD4 count <50 cells per μL vs ≥500 cells per μL, HR 2·4, 95% CI 1·4-4·2; average viral load ≥100 000 copies per mL vs ≤500 copies per mL, HR 7·5, 95% CI 4·5-12·7). However, recent CD4 count was the sole key predictor of risk for CNS non-Hodgkin lymphoma (<50 cells per μL vs ≥500 cells per μL, HR 426·3, 95% CI 58·1-3126·4), and proportion of time viral load was greater than 500 copies per mL during the 3-year window (a cumulative measure) was the sole key predictor for Burkitt lymphoma (100% vs 0%, HR 41·1, 95% CI 9·1-186·6)., Interpretation: Both recent immunosuppression and prolonged HIV viraemia have important independent roles in the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with likely subtype heterogeneity. Early and sustained antiretroviral therapy to decrease HIV replication, dampen B-cell activation, and restore overall immune function is crucial for preventing non-Hodgkin lymphoma., Funding: National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, US Health Resources and Services Administration, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, and the Government of Alberta., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Adults with HIV have an increased burden of non-AIDS-defining cancers, myocardial infarction, end-stage liver disease, and end-stage renal disease. The objective of this study was to estimate the population attributable fractions (PAFs) of preventable or modifiable HIV-related and traditional risk factors for non-AIDS-defining cancers, myocardial infarction, end-stage liver disease, and end-stage renal disease outcomes., Methods: We included participants receiving care in academic and community-based outpatient HIV clinical cohorts in the USA and Canada from Jan 1, 2000, to Dec 31, 2014, who contributed to the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design and who had validated non-AIDS-defining cancers, myocardial infarction, end-stage liver disease, or end-stage renal disease outcomes. Traditional risk factors were tobacco smoking, hypertension, elevated total cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, renal impairment (stage 4 chronic kidney disease), and hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus infections. HIV-related risk factors were low CD4 count (<200 cells per μL), detectable plasma HIV RNA (>400 copies per mL), and history of a clinical AIDS diagnosis. PAFs and 95% CIs were estimated to quantify the proportion of outcomes that could be avoided if the risk factor was prevented., Findings: In each of the study populations for the four outcomes (1405 of 61 500 had non-AIDS-defining cancer, 347 of 29 515 had myocardial infarctions, 387 of 35 044 had end-stage liver disease events, and 255 of 35 620 had end-stage renal disease events), about 17% were older than 50 years at study entry, about 50% were non-white, and about 80% were men. Preventing smoking would avoid 24% (95% CI 13-35) of these cancers and 37% (7-66) of the myocardial infarctions. Preventing elevated total cholesterol and hypertension would avoid the greatest proportion of myocardial infarctions: 44% (30-58) for cholesterol and 42% (28-56) for hypertension. For liver disease, the PAF was greatest for hepatitis C infection (33%; 95% CI 17-48). For renal disease, the PAF was greatest for hypertension (39%; 26-51) followed by elevated total cholesterol (22%; 13-31), detectable HIV RNA (19; 9-31), and low CD4 cell count (13%; 4-21)., Interpretation: The substantial proportion of non-AIDS-defining cancers, myocardial infarction, end-stage liver disease, and end-stage renal disease outcomes that could be prevented with interventions on traditional risk factors elevates the importance of screening for these risk factors, improving the effectiveness of prevention (or modification) of these risk factors, and creating sustainable care models to implement such interventions during the decades of life of adults living with HIV who are receiving care., Funding: National Institutes of Health, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the US Health Resources and Services Administration, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, and the Government of Alberta., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Retention in care is important for all HIV-infected persons and is strongly associated with initiation of antiretroviral therapy and viral suppression. However, it is unclear how retention in care and age interact to affect viral suppression. We evaluated whether the association between retention and viral suppression differed by age at entry into care., Methods: Cross-sectional analysis (2006-2010) involving 17,044 HIV-infected adults in 14 clinical cohorts across the United States and Canada. Patients contributed 1 year of data during their first full-calendar year of clinical observation. Poisson regression examined associations between retention measures [US National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), 6-month gap, and 3-month visit constancy] and viral suppression (HIV RNA ≤200 copies/mL) by age group: 18-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, and 60 years or older., Results: Overall, 89% of patients were retained in care using the NHAS measure, 74% with the DHHS indicator, 85% did not have a 6-month gap, and 62% had visits in 3-4 quarters of the year; 54% achieved viral suppression. For each retention measure, the association with viral suppression was significant for only the younger age groups (18-29 and 30-39 years): 18-29 years [adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) = 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03 to 1.70]; 30-39 years (APR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.49); 40-49 years (APR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.22); 50-59 (APR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.75 to 1.13); ≥60 years (APR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.63 to 1.56) using the NHAS measure as a representative example., Conclusions: These results have important implications for improving viral control among younger adults, emphasizing the crucial role retention in care plays in supporting viral suppression in this population.

Background: U.S. state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) are federally funded to provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) as the payer of last resort to eligible persons with HIV infection. States differ regarding their financial contributions to and ways of implementing these programs, and it remains unclear how this interstate variability affects HIV treatment outcomes., Methods: We analyzed data from HIV-infected individuals who were clinically-eligible for ART between 2001 and 2009 (i.e., a first reported CD4+ <350 cells/uL or AIDS-defining illness) from 14 U.S. cohorts of the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD). Using propensity score matching and Cox regression, we assessed ART initiation (within 6 months following eligibility) and virologic suppression (within 1 year) based on differences in two state ADAP features: the amount of state funding in annual ADAP budgets and the implementation of waiting lists. We performed an a priori subgroup analysis in persons with a history of injection drug use (IDU)., Results: Among 8,874 persons, 56% initiated ART within six months following eligibility. Persons living in states with no additional state contribution to the ADAP budget initiated ART on a less timely basis (hazard ratio [HR] 0.73, 95% CI 0.60-0.88). Living in a state with an ADAP waiting list was not associated with less timely initiation (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.87-1.45). Neither additional state contributions nor waiting lists were significantly associated with virologic suppression. Persons with an IDU history initiated ART on a less timely basis (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47-0.95)., Conclusions: We found that living in states that did not contribute additionally to the ADAP budget was associated with delayed ART initiation when treatment was clinically indicated. Given the changing healthcare environment, continued assessment of the role of ADAPs and their features that facilitate prompt treatment is needed.

Background:  The role of active hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk has not been clarified., Methods:  We compared CKD incidence in a large cohort of HIV-infected subjects who were HCV seronegative, HCV viremic (detectable HCV RNA), or HCV aviremic (HCV seropositive, undetectable HCV RNA). Stages 3 and 5 CKD were defined according to standard criteria. Progressive CKD was defined as a sustained 25% glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decrease from baseline to a GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. We used Cox models to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results:  A total of 52 602 HCV seronegative, 9508 HCV viremic, and 913 HCV aviremic subjects were included. Compared with HCV seronegative subjects, HCV viremic subjects were at increased risk for stage 3 CKD (adjusted HR 1.36 [95% CI, 1.26, 1.46]), stage 5 CKD (1.95 [1.64, 2.31]), and progressive CKD (1.31 [1.19, 1.44]), while HCV aviremic subjects were also at increased risk for stage 3 CKD (1.19 [0.98, 1.45]), stage 5 CKD (1.69 [1.07, 2.65]), and progressive CKD (1.31 [1.02, 1.68])., Conclusions:  Compared with HIV-infected subjects who were HCV seronegative, both HCV viremic and HCV aviremic individuals were at increased risk for moderate and advanced CKD.

Background: Since the mid-1990s, effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens have improved in potency, tolerability, ease of use, and class diversity. We sought to examine trends in treatment initiation and resulting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) virologic suppression in North America between 2001 and 2009, and demographic and geographic disparities in these outcomes., Methods: We analyzed data on HIV-infected individuals newly clinically eligible for ART (ie, first reported CD4+ count<350 cells/µL or AIDS-defining illness, based on treatment guidelines during the study period) from 17 North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design cohorts. Outcomes included timely ART initiation (within 6 months of eligibility) and virologic suppression (≤500 copies/mL, within 1 year). We examined time trends and considered differences by geographic location, age, sex, transmission risk, race/ethnicity, CD4+ count, and viral load, and documented psychosocial barriers to ART initiation, including non-injection drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and mental illness., Results: Among 10,692 HIV-infected individuals, the cumulative incidence of 6-month ART initiation increased from 51% in 2001 to 72% in 2009 (Ptrend<.001). The cumulative incidence of 1-year virologic suppression increased from 55% to 81%, and among ART initiators, from 84% to 93% (both Ptrend<.001). A greater number of psychosocial barriers were associated with decreased ART initiation, but not virologic suppression once ART was initiated. We found significant heterogeneity by state or province of residence (P<.001)., Conclusions: In the last decade, timely ART initiation and virologic suppression have greatly improved in North America concurrent with the development of better-tolerated and more potent regimens, but significant barriers to treatment uptake remain, both at the individual level and systemwide.

Background: Retention in care is key to improving HIV outcomes. The goal of this study was to describe 'churn' in patterns of entry, exit, and retention in HIV care in the United States and Canada., Methods: Adults contributing ≥1 CD4 count or HIV-1 RNA (HIV-lab) from 2000 to 2008 in North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design clinical cohorts were included. Incomplete retention was defined as lack of 2 HIV-laboratories (≥90 days apart) within 12 months, summarized by calendar year. Beta-binomial regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of factors associated with incomplete retention., Results: Among 61,438 participants, 15,360 (25%) with incomplete retention significantly differed in univariate analyses (P < 0.001) from 46,078 (75%) consistently retained by age, race/ethnicity, HIV risk, CD4, antiretroviral therapy use, and country of care (United States vs. Canada). From 2000 to 2004, females (OR = 0.82, CI: 0.70 to 0.95), older individuals (OR = 0.78, CI: 0.74 to 0.83 per 10 years), and antiretroviral therapy users (OR = 0.61, CI: 0.54 to 0.68 vs. all others) were less likely to have incomplete retention, whereas black individuals (OR = 1.31, CI: 1.16 to 1.49, vs. white), those with injection drug use HIV risk (OR = 1.68, CI: 1.49 to 1.89, vs. noninjection drug use), and those in care longer (OR = 1.09, CI: 1.07 to 1.11 per year) were more likely to have incomplete retention. Results from 2005 to 2008 were similar., Discussion: From 2000 to 2008, 75% of the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design population was consistently retained in care with 25% experiencing some changes in status or churn. In addition to the programmatic and policy implications, the findings of this study identify patient groups who may benefit from focused retention efforts.

BACKGROUND. Initiatives to improve early detection and access to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services have increased over time. We assessed the immune status of patients at initial presentation for HIV care from 1997 to 2007 in 13 US and Canadian clinical cohorts. METHODS. We analyzed data from 44,491 HIV-infected patients enrolled in the North American-AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design. We identified first presentation for HIV care as the time of first CD4(+) T lymphocyte (CD4) count and excluded patients who prior to this date had HIV RNA measurements, evidence of antiretroviral exposure, or a history of AIDS-defining illness. Trends in mean CD4 count (measured as cells/mm(3)) and 95% confidence intervals were determined using linear regression adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, HIV transmission risk, and cohort. RESULTS. Median age at first presentation for HIV care increased over time (range, 40-43 years; P < .01), whereas the percentage of patients with injection drug use HIV transmission risk decreased (from 26% to 14%; P < .01) and heterosexual transmission risk increased (from 16% to 23%; P < .01). Median CD4 count at presentation increased from 256 cells/mm(3) (interquartile range, 96-455 cells/mm(3)) to 317 cells/mm(3) (interquartile range, 135-517 cells/mm(3)) from 1997 to 2007 (P < .01). The percentage of patients with a CD4 count > or = 350 cells/mm(3) at first presentation also increased from 1997 to 2007 (from 38% to 46%; P < .01). The estimated adjusted mean CD4 count increased at a rate of 6 cells/mm(3) per year (95% confidence interval, 5-7 cells/mm(3) per year). CONCLUSION. CD4 count at first presentation for HIV care has increased annually over the past 11 years but has remained <350 cells/mm(3), which suggests the urgent need for earlier HIV diagnosis and treatment.