AEGiS-14IAC: Impact of highly active antiretroviral therpay on the quality of life of injection drug users.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Impact of highly active antiretroviral therpay on the quality of life of injection drug users.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. LbPeC9033)

Wu A, Safaeian M, Shah N, Strathdee S, Vlahov D, Celentano D
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States

BACKGROUND: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can effectively suppress HIV replication, however it can also reduce quality of life (QOL). There is little data on the impact of HAART on QOL of injection drug users (IDUs). The objective of this study was to compare the QOL of HIV positive IDUs on HAART with HIV positive IDUs eligible for HAART but not receiving treatment, and HIV negative IDUs.

METHODS: IDUs participating in a prospective cohort study (the ALIVE study) in Baltimore, MD, were administered semi-annual questionnaires. Beginning in 1999, QOL was assessed using the MOS-HIV Health Survey, a brief, comprehensive questionnaire with established reliability and validity that measures health-related quality of life. Summary scores for physical (PHS) and mental (MHS) health were generated on a 0-100 scale, where a higher score indicates better health. Student t-tests and generalized linear models were used for statistical comparisons.

RESULTS: Between September 1999 to June 2001, 1034 IDUs were administered the QOL questionnaire, 33% were female, 6% had AIDS. Patient groups included 1) HIV+ on HAART (n=240), 2) HIV+, HAART eligible (CD4<350) but not on HAART (n=90), 3) HIV+, CD4>350 not on HAART (n=44), and 4) HIV negative (n=658). QOL scores are shown in the table. Patients on HAART and HAART eligible patients had significantly lower PHS and MHS scores compared to non-eligible patients and HIV negative individuals. There were no significant differences between those on HAART and eligible patients on lesser or no therapy. [table: see text] ó Ç p<0.0001 for groups 1 and 2 vs groups 3 and 4.

CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of injection drug users, QOL scores were significantly higher for both HIV infected participants with higher CD4 counts and HIV negative individuals, compared to those with more advanced disease, or on HAART. HAART did not appear to diminish QOL in IDUs.

Keywords: AEGIS, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, HIV Infections, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, AIDS Dementia Complex, Questionnaires, Health Surveys, Life, Quality of Life, Cohort Studies, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Prospective Studies, Baltimore, Female, Human

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