Risk of Falls in HIV-Infected Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy and Its Associated Factors.

Purpose: Fall is one of the geriatric syndromes and a significant public health concern, which causes potentially severe consequences among the elderly. Geriatric syndromes are common among PLHIV and affect younger age than the general population. This study attempted to identify the risk of falls in PLHIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and its related factors among older adults with HIV infection.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2019 to May 2020 among PLHIV aged ≥40 years who received ART for at least 6 months in HIV Integrated Clinic, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Poisson regression with robust estimator using STATA version 12.0.

Results: A total of 102 participants mainly consisted of males (83.3%) with a median age of 45 (IQR 5) years. The risk of fall was detected in 52% of these participants. PLHIV who have history of falls, current CD4 below 200 cells/mm, and pre-frail-frail status were associated with an increased risk of falls in the future. An LPV/r-based regimen was found to be a protective factors of risk of falls among PLHIV.

Conclusion: History of falls, current CD4 below 200 cells/mm, and pre-frail and frail status were identified as factors associated with a greater risk of fall among PLHIV.