Associations of marijuana with markers of chronic lung disease in people living with HIV

Objectives The relationship between marijuana use and markers of chronic lung disease in people living with HIV (PLWH) is poorly understood. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the Examinations of HIV-Associated Lung Emphysema (EXHALE) study, including 162 HIV-positive patients and 138 participants without HIV. We modelled marijuana exposure as: (i) current daily or weekly marijuana smoking vs. monthly or less often; or (ii) cumulative marijuana smoking (joint-years). Linear and logistic regression estimated associations between marijuana exposure and markers of lung disease, adjusted for tobacco smoking and other factors. Results In PLWH, current daily or weekly marijuana use was associated with a larger forced vital capacity (FVC), larger total lung capacity and increased odds of radiographic emphysema compared with marijuana non-smokers in adjusted models; these associations were not statistically significant in participants without HIV. Marijuana joint-years were associated with higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s and FVC in PLWH but not with emphysema. Conclusions In PLWH, marijuana smoking was associated with higher lung volumes and potentially with radiographic emphysema. No consistently negative associations were observed between marijuana and measures of chronic lung health.