High rates of injury found among some HIV-positive people in B.C.

CATIE reports on a study that undertook an assessment of rates and predictors of injury in HIV-positive and HIV-negative adults in British Columbia

In Canada and other high-income countries, the widespread use of potent combination HIV therapy (ART) has significantly reduced AIDS-related deaths and illness-at least among people who are aware of their infection, in care and taking ART every day exactly as prescribed and directed.

Due to the tremendous life-saving effects of ART, researchers increasingly expect that a young adult who is infected today and who initiates treatment shortly thereafter, and who does not have any pre-existing health issues, and who is engaged in his or her care and treatment over the long-term is likely to have a near-normal life expectancy. As a result, some HIV researchers in high-income countries are turning their focus to factors that can diminish life expectancy despite use of ART.

Several research teams in the U.S. and elsewhere have found elevated rates of injury (classed as intentional or unintentional) among HIV-positive people. A team of researchers at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS undertook an assessment of rates and predictors of injury in HIV-positive and HIV-negative adults in that province.

The B.C. researchers found that, overall, 14% of deaths among HIV-positive people were due to injury. In contrast, the figure among HIV-negative people was 6%. Furthermore, they stated that “the highest rates of injury among [HIV-positive] people were associated with falls and self-harm.” Among HIV-negative people, the top two causes of injury were “falls and motor vehicle accidents.” Another finding was that people in rural areas were more likely to experience injury than people in the metropolitan Vancouver region. Also, Indigenous people were more likely to sustain injury than non-Indigenous people. The researchers made recommendations that could be used to develop strategies to help reduce injury rates in HIV-positive communities.