Lung function and atherosclerosis: a cross-sectional study of multimorbidity in rural Uganda

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of global mortality. In high-income settings, the presence of cardiovascular disease among people with COPD increases mortality and complicates longitudinal disease management. An estimated 26 million people are living with COPD in sub-Saharan Africa, where risk factors for co-occurring pulmonary and cardiovascular disease may differ from high-income settings but remain uncharacterized. As non-communicable diseases have become the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, defining multimorbidity in this setting is critical to inform the required scale-up of existing healthcare infrastructure. Methods We measured lung function and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) among participants in the UGANDAC Study. Study participants were over 40 years old and equally divided into people living with HIV (PLWH) and an age- and sex-similar, HIV-uninfected control population. We fit multivariable linear regression models to characterize the relationship between lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second, FEV1) and pre-clinical atherosclerosis (cIMT), and evaluated for effect modification by age, sex, smoking history, HIV, and socioeconomic status. Results Of 265 participants, median age was 52 years, 125 (47%) were women, and 140 (53%) were PLWH. Most participants who met criteria for COPD were PLWH (13/17, 76%). Median cIMT was 0.67 mm (IQR: 0.60 to 0.74), which did not differ by HIV serostatus. In models adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking, and HIV, lower FEV1 was associated with increased cIMT (β = 0.006 per 200 mL FEV1 decrease; 95% CI 0.002 to 0.011, p = 0.01). There was no evidence that age, sex, HIV serostatus, smoking, or socioeconomic status modified the relationship between FEV1 and cIMT. Conclusions Impaired lung function was associated with increased cIMT, a measure of pre-clinical atherosclerosis, among adults with and without HIV in rural Uganda. Future work should explore how co-occurring lung and cardiovascular disease might share risk factors and contribute to health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa.

Relationship of the balloon analog risk task to neurocognitive impairment differs by HIV serostatus and history of major depressive disorder

HIV and major depressive disorder (MDD) commonly co-occur and are both linked to greater risk-taking behavior, possibly due to neurocognitive impairment (NCI). The present study examined the concordance of the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART), a gold standard measure of risk-taking propensity, with NCI and real-world sexual risk behaviors in PWH with comorbid MDD. Participants included 259 adults, stratified by HIV serostatus (HIV + /HIV −) and lifetime MDD (MDD + /MDD −), who completed neuropsychological testing, the BART, and sexual risk behavior questionnaires. Logistic regression, stratified by HIV serostatus, examined joint effects of MDD and BART (linear and quadratic) on NCI. Follow-up linear regressions examined sexual risk behavior and neurocognitive domain T-scores as correlates of the BART. NCI prevalence was lowest in HIV − /MDD − , but BART scores did not differ by HIV/MDD status. In the HIV + group, BART performance predicted NCI such that high and low BART scores related to greater odds of NCI, but only in dual-risk HIV + /MDD + individuals. HIV + /MDD + individuals with both low and high BART scores exhibited poorer learning and recall, whereas processing speed and executive function were only poor in low BART risk-taking HIV + /MDD + . Higher BART scores linearly related to higher sexual risk behaviors only in MDD + individuals, independent of HIV serostatus. Low and high risk-taking on the BART may reflect discrete neurocognitive profiles in HIV + /MDD + individuals, with differential implications for real-world sexual risk behavior. HIV and comorbid MDD may disturb corticostriatal circuits responsible for integrating affective and neurocognitive components of decision-making, thereby contributing to risk-averse and risk-taking phenotypes.

Sexual risk among pregnant women at risk of HIV infection in Cape Town, South Africa: What does alcohol have to do with it?

This study examines associations between alcohol use and HIV sexual risk among a cohort of HIV-uninfected pregnant women (n=1201) residing in a high HIV burden community in South Africa. Alcohol use was measured using a modified version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). HIV sexual risk was measured through a composite variable of four risk factors: diagnosis with a STI, self-report of >1 recent sex partners, partner HIV serostatus (unknown or HIV+) and condomless sex at last sex. Any past year alcohol use prior to pregnancy was reported by half of participants (50%); 6.0% reported alcohol use during pregnancy. Alcohol use prior to pregnancy was associated with increased odds of being at high risk of HIV (aOR=1.33 for 2 risks and aOR=1.47 for 3 risks). In addition to reducing alcohol use, several other strategies to address HIV sexual risk in this population were identified.

Pulmonary and Physical Function Limitations in Aging Men with and without HIV from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study

We sought to determine effects of age, HIV serostatus, and smoking on the associations between pulmonary function and physical function impairments using Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study data. Associations between physical function outcomes gait speed (m/sec) and grip strength (kg) with normalized pulmonary function tests (diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO, n=1,048) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1, n=1,029)) were examined. Adjusted mixed-effects models included interaction terms to assess effect modification. 574(55%) were HIV+, with median age 57(IQR=48,64) and mean cumulative smoking pack-years 12.2(SD=19.0). 349(33%) had impaired DLCO (<80% of predicted) and 130(13%) had impaired FEV1 (<80% of predicted). Participants with impaired DLCO had weaker grip strength than those with normal DLCO (estimate= -3.5[95% CI=-4.6,-2.4]kg; p<0.001). Participants with impaired DLCO had slower gait speed than those with normal DLCO (estimate= -0.04[95% CI= -0.06,-0.02]m/sec; p=0.002). Age modified the DLCO effect on gait (p-interaction=0.01) but not grip (p-interaction=0.09). The association between decreased DLCO and slower gait was more pronounced in older participants. Smoking or HIV serostatus did not significantly modify the DLCO effect on gait (all p-interaction≥0.14) or grip (p-interaction=0.74, p-interaction=0.058, respectively). As with DLCO, participants with impaired FEV1 had weaker grip strength (estimate=-3.0[95% CI= -4.7,-1.3]kg; p<0.001) than those with normal FEV1. FEV1 was not associated with gait speed(p=0.98). Age, HIV serostatus or smoking did not modify the associations between FEV1 and gait speed or grip strength (all p-interaction>0.05). Associations between lower DLCO/FEV1 and decreased physical function suggest that interventions to improve pulmonary function may also preserve physical function with aging.

HIV Serostatus Disclosure Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China in the Era of U=U and PrEP

Given the recent evidence on “Undetectable = Untransmittable” (U=U) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the present study aimed to investigate HIV disclosure behaviors and their associations with sexual risk behaviors and U=U and PrEP awareness among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 689 MSM recruited through a gay-friendly non-governmental organization located in Chengdu, China in 2018–2019. Information was collected by a structured self-administrated questionnaire. The enrolled sample included 554 (80.4%) participants who were HIV-negative and 135 (19.6%) participants with an unknown HIV status. In terms of disclosure, 41.4% of participants informed all partners about their HIV status all the time (informing behavior), while 30.4% asked all partners about their HIV status all the time (asking behavior). Only one-fifth knew about U=U, but this was not statistically associated with either informing or asking behavior. Half (50.5%) had heard of PrEP but this was not statistically associated with either informing or asking behavior. Common barriers to informing and asking behaviors were lower risk perception of HIV infection, a history of sexually transmitted infections, engagement in receptive sex, and a history of sex with casual partners. We found that both U=U and PrEP awareness and HIV serostatus disclosure were infrequent and not associated in this study of Chinese MSM. These data indicate huge information gaps among MSM in China.

Body mass index and leptin are related to cognitive performance over 10 years in women with and without HIV infection

Objective To determine whether body mass index (BMI) and leptin were longitudinally associated over 10 years with neuropsychological performance (NP) among middle-aged women with HIV (WWH) versus without HIV. Methods Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) participants (301 WWH, 113 women without HIV from Brooklyn, New York City and Chicago had baseline and 10-year BMI (kg/m2) and fasting plasma leptin levels using commercial ELISA (ng/mL); and demographically-adjusted NP T-scores (attention/working memory, executive function (EF), processing speed, memory, learning, verbal fluency, motor function, global) at 10-year follow-up. Multivariable linear regression analyses, stratified by HIV-serostatus, examined associations between BMI, leptin, and NP. Results Over 10 years, women (baseline age 39.8+/-9.2 years, 73% Black, 73% WWH) transitioned from average overweight (29.1+/-7.9 kg/m 2) to obese (30.5+/-7.9 kg/m 2) BMI. Leptin increased 11.4+/-26.4 ng/mL (p<0.0001). Higher baseline BMI and leptin predicted poorer 10-year EF among all women (BMI B=-6.97, 95%CI(-11.5, -2.45) p=0.003; leptin B=-1.90, 95%CI(-3.03, -0.76), p=0.001); higher baseline BMI predicted better memory performance (B=6.35, 95%CI(1.96, 10.7), p=0.005). Greater 10-year leptin increase predicted poorer EF (p=0.004), speed (p=0.029), verbal (p=0.021) and global (p=0.005) performance among all women, and WWH. Greater 10-year BMI increase predicted slower processing speed (p=0.043) among all women; and among WWH, poorer EF (p=0.012) and global (p=0.035) performance. Conclusions In middle-aged WIHS participants, 10-year increases in BMI and leptin were associated with poorer performance across multiple NP domains among all and WWH. Trajectories of adiposity measures over time may provide insight into the role of adipose tissue in brain health with aging.

Substance Use and Chemsex in MSM - A Latent Class Analysis

Engagement in “chemsex” among men who have sex with men is associated with higher rates of STIs and HIV seroconversion as well as an increased mental health burden. MSM were recruited for an anonymous online survey. The survey included questions of substance use, consumption motives, sexual risk behavior, HIV serostatus, and psychological characteristics. A latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups based on the consumed substances. 597 MSM answered the questionnaire. The latent class analysis revealed four different clusters. Most men described the use of amyl nitrite and cannabis ( n = 370). One cluster consumed mainly MDMA, cocaine, and amphetamine ( n = 106) and another cluster used mainly chemsex-related drugs ( n = 43). A fourth cluster reported a range of consumed substances ( n = 78). This cluster reported higher rates of suicide attempts, STIs, and risk behaviors. Substances typically related to chemsex were consumed in a sexualized context to a relevant extent.

Barriers to timely disclosure of HIV serostatus: A qualitative study at care and treatment centers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Introduction Disclosure of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status is important to prevent the spread of HIV and maintain the health of people living with HIV, their spouses, and the community. Despite the benefits of disclosure, many people living with HIV delay disclosing their status to those close to them thereby increasing the risk for disease transmission. This study aimed to determine the barriers to timely disclosure of HIV serostatus for people living with HIV in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and identify what motivated disclosure. Methods A qualitative descriptive study using in-depth individual interviews was conducted with10 participants attending HIV care and treatment centers in Dar es Salaam. The participants were people living with HIV who had delayed disclosing their serostatus for more than one month after diagnosis. Data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Three categories emerged from the analysis: Barriers hindering timely disclosure, motivation for disclosure of serostatus, and consequences of delayed disclosure. Barriers to timely disclosure included denial of one’s status, the fear of stigmatization, fear of being separated or divorced, the need to protect loved ones, and lack of adequate knowledge about the disease. Reasons that motivated disclosure included gaining social support, preventing disease transmission and wanting to be at peace. Conclusion Timely disclosure is hindered by stigma because HIV is negatively perceived by the public. People living with HIV prefer not to disclose to avoid the negative consequences of disclosure, especially because of fear of being discriminated against and losing their social status, which plays a major role in social status in Tanzania. Trust and adequate counseling from health care workers helps prompt disclosure.

HIV Transmission Potential and Sex Partner Concurrency: Evidence for Racial Disparities in HIV Risk Among Gay and Bisexual Men (MSM)

We determined whether racial disparities in HIV infection among gay and bisexual men (MSM) may be partially explained by racial differences in the HIV transmission potential (i.e. mixing of people living with HIV and people not living with HIV or of unknown HIV serostatus) and density (i.e. sex partner concurrency) of sexual networks. Data included a behavioral survey, testing for HIV, and an egocentric sexual network survey. Mixed effects logistic regressions were used for hypothesis testing. Black (vs. non-Black) MSM were more likely to not know their partner’s HIV serostatus (21.8% vs. 9.6%). Similar proportions reported sex partner concurrency (67.1% vs. 68.0%). In adjusted analyses, among Black MSM, sex partner concurrency significantly increased the odds of an HIV transmission potential partnership (TPP), and this association was not significant among non-Black indexes. The association between an HIV TPP and sex partner concurrency may help explain persistent racial disparities in HIV prevalence.