Impact of Aboriginal Status on HIV Treatment Outcomes
Author Information
Author(s): Lima Viviane D, Kretz Patricia, Palepu Anita, Bonner Simon, Kerr Thomas, Moore David, Daniel Mark, Montaner Julio SG, Hogg Robert S
Primary Institution: British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital; Vancouver, Canada
Hypothesis
Do Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal individuals respond differently to HAART in terms of HIV treatment outcomes?
Conclusion
HIV-infected Aboriginal persons have similar treatment responses to non-Aboriginal persons but experience shorter survival rates.
Supporting Evidence
- Aboriginal status was associated with a higher hazard of mortality (HR = 3.12).
- Participants had similar HIV treatment responses regardless of Aboriginal status.
- The study included 622 participants, with 88 identifying as Aboriginal.
Takeaway
This study found that Aboriginal people with HIV get similar treatment results as non-Aboriginal people, but they don't live as long after starting treatment.
Methodology
A population-based analysis of antiretroviral therapy naïve HIV-positive Aboriginal men and women in British Columbia, using Cox proportional hazards models to assess treatment outcomes.
Potential Biases
Potential underreporting of IDU history and misclassification of adherence could bias results.
Limitations
Self-reported history of IDU may lead to underreporting, and the sample size was small with significant demographic differences between participants and non-participants.
Participant Demographics
622 participants, 88 (14.1%) identified as Aboriginal, median age 38 years, 50% had an income of less than $10,000.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.0296 for AIDS diagnosis, p = 0.0209 for protease inhibitor use, p < 0.001 for baseline HIV plasma viral load.
Confidence Interval
HR = 3.12, 95% CI: 1.77–5.48 for mortality risk associated with Aboriginal status.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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