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Early ART may lower frailty risk in those with HIV
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Recent findings published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome add to previous data suggesting that HIV is associated with premature frailty, particularly in women.
The researchers suggest early initiation of ART may lower the risk for frailty in this population as those with higher CD4 counts had a lower risk for frailty.
For the case-control study, the researchers compared 248 adults older than 30 years with 256 age- and gender-matched HIV-negative adults residing in South Africa.
When compared with adults without HIV, those with HIV were more likely to be frail (13.3% vs. 19.4%; P=.07). The association continued after adjusting for confounding variables (95% CI, 1.16-3.92). Older age in women with HIV (OR=2.25) was a strong predictor for frailty when compared with men (OR=1.29). Those with a lower CD4 count had a higher risk for frailty (OR=2.84; 95% CI, 1.02-7.92).
The overall mean age of those with HIV was 41.1 years and 42.6 years among those without HIV. The median CD4 cell count of those receiving ART (87.1%) was 468 cells/mcL and 84.3% had undectable plasma viral load, according to the study abstract.
For the purpose of this study, the researchers defined frailty with the use of standardized assessment and multivariate regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of frailty.
References:
Pathai S. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2012;62:43-51.Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.