HIV disease and diabetes interact to affect brain white matter hyperintensities and cognition.

Background: Since the onset of combination antiretroviral therapy use, the incidence of HIV-associated dementia and of HIV encephalitis has fallen dramatically. The present study investigates the extent of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) among individuals with HIV disease, and factors that predict their presence and their impact on psychomotor speed.

Methods: A total of 322 men participating in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (185 HIV-infected, age: 57.