Search

Approximately 10–15% of people living with HIV are also diagnosed with diabetes. To manage their two chronic conditions, people must undertake certain activities and adopt behaviors. Due to overlapping symptoms, complex medication regimens, and heavy patient workloads, implementing these self-management practices can be difficult. In this focused ethnography, data were collected from semi-structured interviews and limited participant-observation with a selected subset of participants to gain insight into self-management challenges and facilitators. We conducted interviews and multiple observations with 22 participants with HIV+T2DM over the period of 9 months. Participants experienced numerous barriers to self-management in the areas of diet, medication adherence, and mental health. Social and familial support, as well as consistent access to care, were facilitators for optimal self-management. At the same time participants' lives were in a unique flux shaped by the dual diagnoses, and therefore, required constant mental and physical adjustments, thus illustrating challenges of managing chronicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is one of the most commoncomorbid conditions in people living with HIV (PLWH). Diabetes may affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for PLWH because they experience more symptoms, are prescribed more medications, and are required to do selfcare activities. The purpose of our study was to compare predictors of the HRQoL for PLWH with and without diabetes. The study was a secondary analysis of data from the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort using multiple regression. Significant differences were found between PLWH with and without diabetes. The significant predictors of HRQoL for PLWH-alone were depression, anxiety, medication adherence, physical activity, smoking, and age. ForPLWHwith diabetes, the only significant predictors of HRQoL were anxiety and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People living with HIV (PLWH) are dying of non-AIDS associated conditions, including type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the impact of diabetes and CKD on HIV survival rates is unknown. The purpose of this retrospective longitudinal study was to investigate the impact of diabetes and CKD on the survival rates of PLWH, using a secondary analysis of data from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (N = 10,043 PLWH). The sample was divided into three comorbidity groups: HIV alone, HIV with diabetes, and HIV with diabetes and CKD. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to examine survival rates; Cox regression was used to assess relationships between variables. Overall mean survival time was 19.7 years (95% CI, 19.57–19.8). For HIV alone (n = 8266), the mortality rate was 3.6%; for HIV with diabetes (n = 1720), mortality was almost three times higher (12.0%); and for HIV with diabetes and CKD (n = 57), survival was less than three times higher (36.8%) than for HIV alone. Knowing that diabetes mellitus decreases survival rates, healthcare providers need to halt or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes by more aggressively assessing for prediabetes and treating it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 10-15% of persons living with HIV (PLWH) have a comorbid diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM). Both of these long-term chronic conditions are associated with high rates of symptom burden. The purpose of our study was to describe symptom patterns for PLWH with DM (PLWH+DM) using a large secondary dataset. The prevalence, burden, and bothersomeness of symptoms reported by patients in routine clinic visits during 2015 were assessed using the 20-item HIV Symptom Index. Principal component analysis was used to identify symptom clusters. Three main clusters were identified: (a) neurological/psychological, (b) gastrointestinal/flu-like, and (c) physical changes. The most prevalent symptoms were fatigue, poor sleep, aches, neuropathy, and sadness. When compared to a previous symptom study with PLWH, symptoms clustered differently in our sample of patients with dual diagnoses of HIV and diabetes. Clinicians should appropriately assess symptoms for their patients' comorbid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persons living with HIV experience high symptom burden that can negatively impact medication adherence, work productivity, and quality of life. Symptoms are highly subjective, which can lead to under- or improper treatment. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine relationships between circulating biomarkers representative of inflammatory, coagulation, and vascular function pathways and prevalent HIV symptoms. Setting and Sample. Adults >18 years who were diagnosed with HIV and spoke English for this cross-sectional study were recruited from community clinics and organizations. Symptom burden was measured with the HIV Symptom Index; depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire. Human multiplex kits were used to determine serum concentrations of select biomarkers representing inflammatory, coagulation, and vascular function pathways. The biomarkers were included as features in machine learning models to determine which biomarkers predicted the most prevalent HIV symptoms (fatigue and muscle/joint pain) and the symptom of depression. Participants (N = 32) were representative of the local population of people with HIV, being mostly Black (54.4%) and male (60.6%). Depression was predicted by age, gender, glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and inflammation. Muscle/joint pain was predicted by adiponectin, C-reactive protein, and serum amyloid A (SAA). Fatigue was predicted by adiponectin, SAA, and soluble interleukin-1 receptor type II (sIL-1RII). Biomarker clusters can be a tool to monitor symptoms. Adding an objective measure to subjective patient experiences could improve management and monitoring of symptoms. Defining a biomarker cluster for the objective assessment of HIV symptoms warrants further investigation; however, the presence of comorbid conditions needs to be controlled. • Objective measures of symptoms may be possible to develop. • Depression in people living with HIV was predicted by age, gender, glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and inflammation. • Muscle/joint pain was predicted by adiponectin, c-reactive protein, and serum amyloid a (SAA). • Fatigue was predicted by adiponectin, SAA, and soluble Interleukin (sIL) 1RII. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]