Antiretroviral Therapy Reduces Costs, Cardiometabolic Disease Incidence in HIV Patients

The early scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) during the diagnosis stage for HIV patients has been found to be effective at reducing cardiometabolic diseases and their associated costs in the HIV-infected population, according to a recent study.  

Researchers from the Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ran a cohort study of 10693 newly diagnosed HIV patients without previous record of cardiometabolic diseases. 

The cohort was categorized by antiretroviral therapy use (medication possession ratio [MPR] ≥0.8: [high] vs <0.8: [low]) and AIDS-defining illness status (ADI) (present: [+] vs absent: [-])—which was further split into 4 groups,: ART (low) & ADI (-), ART (low) & ADI (+), ART (high) & ADI (-), and ART (high) & ADI (+). 

The economic burden of cardiometabolic diseases was determined through generalized estimating equations using the Taiwanese single-payer system as perspective.  

Per the results of the study, cardiometabolic diseases like hypertension and cardiovascular disease increased direct medical costs by 31% and 127%, respectively.  

Results also showed that the annual cost burden associated with diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases in the ART (high) & ADI (-) group significantly decreased by 42%, 30%, and 31%, respectively, compared to the ART (low) & ADI (+) group. 

“Compared to the ART (low) & ADI (+) group, the annual cost burden of cardiovascular diseases in the ART (high) & ADI (-) and ART (high) & ADI (+) groups decreased by 31% and 14%, respectively, suggesting increased cost-savings when ART is initiated at diagnosis before ADI occurrence.” 

—Edan Stanley

 Reference:

Yang CT, Toh HS, Liao CT, Kuo S, Ou HT, Ko NY. Early scale-up of antiretroviral therapy at diagnosis for reducing economic burden of cardiometabolic disease in HIV-infected population [published online ahead of print February 5, 2020]. AIDS. 2020;10.1097. doi:10.1097/QAD.0000000000002490