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Association of Cannabis, Stimulant, and Alcohol use with Mortality Prognosis Among HIV-Infected Men.

Adams JW, Bryant KJ, Edelman EJ, Fiellin DA, Gaither JR, Gordon AJ, Gordon KS, Kraemer KL, Mimiaga MJ, Operario D, Tate JP, van den Berg JJ, Justice AC, Marshall BDL. Association of Cannabis, Stimulant, and Alcohol use with Mortality Prognosis Among HIV-Infected Men. AIDS and behavior. 2018 Apr 1; 22(4):1341-1351.

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Abstract:

Questionnaires over a 9-year study period (2002-2010) were used to characterize cannabis, stimulant, and alcohol use among 3099 HIV-infected men participating in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) to determine whether use of these substances is associated with changes in the VACS Index, a validated prognostic indicator for all-cause mortality. At baseline, 18% of participants reported no substance use in the past year, 24% lower risk alcohol use only, 18% unhealthy alcohol use only, 15% cannabis use (with or without alcohol), and 24% stimulant use (with or without alcohol or cannabis). In adjusted longitudinal analyses, cannabis use [ß  =  -0.97 (95% CI -1.93, 0.00), p  =  0.048] was not associated with mortality risk, while stimulant use [1.08 (0.16, 2.00), p  =  0.021] was associated with an increased mortality risk, compared to lower risk alcohol use. Our findings show no evidence of a negative effect of cannabis use on mortality risk, while stimulant use was associated with increased mortality risk among HIV-infected men. Interventions to reduce stimulant use in this patient population may reduce mortality.




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