Impact of race/ethnicity on survival among HIV-infected patients in care.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prognostic influence of race/ethnicity on survival among patients infected with HIV infection.


BACKGROUND
In the U.S., HIV infection occurs disproportionately in minority communities. Additionally, worse outcomes (including higher mortality) have been reported, particularly among African Americans.


METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort study among 870 HIV-infected patients attending a Midwestern academic medical center. The study determined individual characteristics that were predictive of survival by using log rank tests and multivariate analysis models, after adjusting for known predictors of outcome.


RESULTS
Low CD4 cell count (<100 cells/mm3), high viral load (>250,000 copies/mL), age older than 30, and Black race were independently predictive of poorer outcomes among patients infected with HIV.


CONCLUSIONS
We found a large disparity in survival, with African Americans with advanced disease more likely to die than whites. This finding was not explained by socioeconomic status or other confounders. Future prospective studies are warranted.
Lopez
Gregory
G
University of Nebraska Medical Center, USA.
Simone
Benedetto
B
Madariaga
Miguel G
MG
Anderson
James
J
Swindells
Susan
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D019562:Viral Load