Evaluation of rates of virologic suppression in HIV-positive patients with varying numbers of comorbidities.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of the number of comorbidities on virologic suppression in HIV-positive patients.

Methods: This study included patients 18 years or older who were on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with at least 2 visits to an HIV primary care clinic in the past year. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients with an undetectable viral load (a blood HIV RNA level of <20 copies/mL) among groups of patients with 0, 1 or 2, 3 or 4, and 5 comorbidities, respectively. The secondary outcome was the percentage of patients with undetectable viral loads per each comorbidity, as listed above. The study was reviewed by an institutional review board and approved as exempt from full review.

Results: Among the 1,144 patients (median age of 52 years, 43% female, 74% Black) included in the study, 80% had an undetectable viral load, and the mean CD4 count was 638 cells/mm3. The majority of patients (48%) had 1 or 2 comorbidities, with only 2 patients having 5 comorbidities. For patients with 0, 1 or 2, 3 or 4, and 5 comorbidities, the percentages of patients with undetectable HIV viral loads were 76%, 81.7%, 87.9%, and 100%, respectively (P = 0.0009 in χ 2 test for trend). When looking at individual comorbidities, corresponding viral suppression rates were as follows: chronic kidney disease, 88.6%; hypertension, 85.8%; type 2 diabetes, 85.7%; clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, 83.1%; substance abuse, 76%; and psychiatric disorders, 75.2%.

Conclusion: Improved viral suppression was seen among HIV-positive patients with an increased number of comorbidities. Patients with psychiatric disorders had the lowest viral suppression rates amongst all of the comorbidity subgroups.