An article published on October 21 in the Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases evaluated sex, race and ethnicity factors on the life expectancy of HIV-infected individuals. The team of 12 American researchers also considered the effects of high-risk behavior, early discontinuation of treatment, and severity of disease upon initiation of care.

While antiretroviral treatment is fairly successful in treating HIV/AIDS in the United States, most patients begin treatment too late after their disease has already progressed. Many patients do not adhere to their treatment regimen and others end therapy prematurely.

For instance, discontinuation rates range from seven to forty percent over two to seven months. The highest rates are found among women of racial and ethnic minorities.

Although many studies have examined racial and ethnic disparities in access to care, no study has investigated how this may correlate to mortality. The authors of this paper looked at how these factors such as sex and race influence average years lived.

The researchers found that HIV infection itself shortened lifespan by 11.9 years compared to non-infected individuals with similar risk behavior. Unsurprisingly, HIV-positive people with late initiation of care and/or early termination of treatment lost an additional 3.3 years of lifespan.

Hispanic men had the lowest life expectancy, with lifespans on average nearly four years less than other HIV-positive subgroups. African-American and Hispanic women also had lower life expectancies than their Caucasian counterparts, losing 23 percent and 83 percent more years of lifespan, respectively.

The authors concluded that interventions focused on earlier treatment initiation and better retention in care, particularly for racial/ethnic minorities, will lead to improved survival for HIV-positive individuals in the U.S.

The researchers interviewed over eight thousand participants at seven locations around the U.S. They also used data from the HIV Research Network (HIVRN), a federal database that collects information on the delivery of services to people with HIV infection. HIVRN includes data from 18 medical practices that provide treatment to over 14,000 patients.

For more information, please read the article on the Chicago Journals Web site.