Final 192-Week Efficacy and Safety Results of the ADVANCE Trial, Comparing 3 First-line Antiretroviral Regimens.

Background: ADVANCE compared 3 World Health Organization-recommended first-line regimens in participants with HIV who were antiretroviral naive.

Methods: This randomized, open-label, noninferiority trial enrolled participants living with HIV with no antiretroviral exposure in the previous 6 months to 1 of the following arms: tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) / emtricitabine (FTC) + dolutegravir (DTG) (2 tablets), tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) / FTC + DTG (2 tablets), or a fixed-dose combination of TDF / FTC / efavirenz (EFV) (1 tablet). We report the final safety and efficacy data up to 192 weeks.

A Retrospective Medical Record Review to Describe Health Status and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors of Bus Drivers in South Africa.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. The occupational challenges of bus drivers may increase their risk of CVD, including developing obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. We evaluated the medical records of 266 bus drivers visiting an occupational medical practice between 2007 and 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the health status of bus drivers and investigate risk factors for CVD, and their impact on the ability to work.

Tuberculosis treatment and resulting abnormal blood glucose: a scoping review of studies from 1981 - 2021.

Background: Hyperglycaemia is a risk factor for tuberculosis. Evidence of changes in blood glucose levels during and after tuberculosis treatment is unclear.

Objective: To compile evidence of changes in blood glucose during and after tuberculosis treatment and the effects of elevated blood glucose changes on treatment outcomes in previously normoglycaemic patients.

Corrigendum: The influence of HIV infection and antiretroviral treatment on pulmonary function in individuals in an urban setting in sub-Saharan Africa.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.4102/sajhivmed.v22i1.

Epidemiology and Control of diabetes - tuberculosis comorbidity in Eswatini: protocol for the prospective study of tuberculosis patients on predictive factors, treatment outcomes and patient management practices.

Introduction: Previous studies indicate people with diabetes mellitus (DM) may have varying treatment outcomes when receiving treatment for tuberculosis (TB) and that TB infection or its treatment may predispose them to develop an abnormal blood glucose or type 2 DM. This has implications for Eswatini which is a high TB burden country and with increasing cases of non-communicable diseases including DM. This study will describe the epidemiology of DM-TB comorbidity in a prospective cohort of patients receiving TB treatment and identify best practices for integration of care for non-communicable diseases into TB services in Eswatini.

The influence of smoking and HIV infection on pulmonary function.

Background: Prevalence of HIV, smoking, and pulmonary infections in South Africa are high.

Objectives: We investigated the role of smoking and HIV status on lung function.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study conducted in South Africa.

The influence of HIV infection and antiretroviral treatment on pulmonary function in individuals in an urban setting in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: With the roll-out of antiretroviral treatment (ART), the life expectancy of people with HIV and, hence, morbidity from non-communicable diseases, including pulmonary diseases, have increased.

Objectives: This research study aims to investigate whether HIV infection and ART use are associated with pulmonary function, given the high frequency of pulmonary infections, including tuberculosis (TB), associated with HIV.

Method: Adults living with HIV (ART-naïve, on first- or second-line ART), and age and sex matched HIV-negative controls were included in a cross-sectional study in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Cardiovascular toxicity of contemporary antiretroviral therapy.

Purpose Of Review: HIV treatment has evolved since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the 1990s. Earlier treatment strategies, and the introduction of integrase inhibitors in preferred first-line ART have fundamentally changed cardiovascular side effects due to HIV infection and ART. This review provides an update on cardiovascular toxicity of contemporary ART.

Predictors of impaired pulmonary function in people living with HIV in an urban African setting.

Background: Studies have associated HIV with an increased risk of obstructive lung disease (OLD).

Objectives: We aimed to identify the predictive factors for impaired lung function in an urban, African, HIV-positive population.

Method: A cross-sectional study was performed in Johannesburg, South Africa, from July 2016 to November 2017.

Patterns of Immune Activation in HIV and Non HIV Subjects and Its Relation to Cardiovascular Disease Risk.

Introduction: Insight into inflammation patterns is needed to understand the pathophysiology of HIV and related cardiovascular disease (CVD). We assessed patterns of inflammation related to HIV infection and CVD risk assessed with carotid intima media thickness (CIMT).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in Johannesburg, South Africa, including participants with HIV who were virally suppressed on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) as well as HIV-negative participants who were family members or friends to the HIV-positive participants.

Erratum: Unexpected low frequency of respiratory symptoms in an HIV-positive urban sub-Saharan population compared to an HIV-negative control group.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.4102/sajhivmed.v20i1.

Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities in urban African people living with HIV in South Africa.

Background: Studies from high income countries report that HIV-positive people have an impaired systolic and diastolic cardiac function compared to HIV-negative people. It is unclear if results can be translated directly to the Sub-Saharan Africa context. This study assesses electro- and echocardiographic characteristics in an urban African population, comparing HIV-positive people (treated and not yet treated) with HIV-negative controls.

Course of Disease and Clinical Outcome of Infective Endocarditis in HIV-infected Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Infective endocarditis (IE) causes substantial morbidity and mortality if untreated. The clinical course of IE might be different in HIV-positive patients as a result of immune dysfunction. This systematic review investigates the clinical course of IE in HIV-positive compared to HIV-negative patients.

Dolutegravir with emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate versus efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for initial treatment of HIV-1 infection (ADVANCE): week 96 results from a randomised, phase 3, non-inferiority trial.

Background: ADVANCE compared the efficacy and safety of two antiretroviral first-line combinations (dolutegravir combined with emtricitabine and either tenofovir disoproxil fumarate or tenofovir alafenamide), with a third regimen (efavirenz combined with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) previously recommended by WHO. Here, we report the 96-week data for the study.

Methods: This randomised, open-label, non-inferiority phase 3 trial, was done at two research sites in Johannesburg, South Africa, after participant recruitment from 11 public health clinics also in Johannesburg.

Phone Calls to Retain Research Participants and Determinants of Reachability in an African Setting: Observational Study.

Background: Long-term retention of research participants in studies is challenging. In research in sub-Saharan Africa, phone calls are the most frequently used method to distantly engage with participants.

Objective: We aimed to get insight into the effectiveness of phone calls to retain contact with participants and evaluated determinants of reachability.

Heart Rate Variability, HIV and the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Rural South Africa.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) transformed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection into a chronic disease. Possible HIV-associated complications have emerged including cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Objectives: This study aims to determine the heart rate variability (HRV) distribution and association between HRV and HIV treated with ART in a rural African population.

Cardiovascular Disease Burden in Rural Africa: Does HIV and Antiretroviral Treatment Play a Role?: Baseline Analysis of the Ndlovu Cohort Study.

Background HIV is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in high-income countries. Little is known about the CVD burden in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of the world's HIV-positive population lives. This study aims to provide insight into the burden of CVD risk in a rural setting in sub-Saharan Africa considering HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Cardiovascular disease risk in an urban African population: a cross-sectional analysis on the role of HIV and antiretroviral treatment.

Background: Life expectancy is increasing in the HIV-positive population and age-related non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, (CVD) are seen more frequently. This study investigated to what extent HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with CVD risk in an urban African population.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in Johannesburg, South Africa, between July 2016 and November 2017.

The Utility of the Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A (Lp-PLA) Assay in Detecting Abnormalities in Lipid Metabolism and Cardiovascular Risk in an HIV-Infected South African Cohort.

People with HIV (PWH) have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to uninfected patients. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A (Lp-PLA) catalyzes the synthesis of pro-inflammatory lipids that recruit monocytes. Current guidelines for assessing cardiovascular risk in HIV-infected patients suggest that Lp-PLA may be a useful surrogate marker for CVD health in this patient population.