HIV Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about HIV, including details on human immunodeficiency virus, testing, treatment, prevention, vaccines, aids.

Prevalence of anemia and correlation with biomarkers and specific antiretroviral regimens in 9690 human-immunodeficiency-virus-infected patients: findings of the Anemia Prevalence Study.

Mildvan D, Creagh T, Leitz G,

Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY 10003, USA. mildvan@ix.netcom.com

OBJECTIVE: To describe anemia prevalence and correlates with biomarkers and antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV/AIDS. METHODS: Multicenter, cross-sectional study; clinical laboratory data collected at single visits, including hemoglobin (Hb), CD4+ count, HIV-1 RNA. Patients receiving care at US physician offices during the year 2000. Main outcome measure was anemia (Hb < 14 g/dL [men]; < 12 g/dL [women]) and marked anemia (Hb < 11 g/dL [men]; < 10 g/dL [women]) prevalence. Multivariable models examined association of anemia prevalence with HIV-1 biomarkers and ART. RESULTS: Among 9690 patients, prevalence of anemia and marked anemia was 36% and 5%, respectively. Among 1721 patients receiving no ART, 39.7% were anemic; among 7252 receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), 35.5% were anemic (p = 0.001). Anemia was most prevalent among men (37.3 vs. 32.3%; p = 0.0008), blacks (49 vs. 26% [whites]; p < 0.0001), patients with CD4+ < 200 cells/mm(3) (57 vs. 23% [> or = 500 CD4+]; p < 0.00001), and HIV-1 RNA > 30 000 copies/ml (53 vs. 30% [< 500 copies/ml]; p < 0.00001). Marked anemia was more common in women (6.8 vs. 4.3%; p < 0.0001). Among treated patients, logistic regression analysis controlling for CD4+, HIV-1 RNA, sex, and ethnicity, zidovudine (ZDV)-containing regimens (except combination with saquinavir/ZDV/lamivudine) were associated with increased overall anemia risk (odds ratio, 1.39 : 1.74). No regimen was associated with increased risk for marked anemia. Multivariable logistic regression showed CD4+, sex, and ethnicity more strongly associated with anemia than any ART regimen. CONCLUSION: This large, single-visit, cross-sectional, US-based study shows that anemia remains highly prevalent in HIV-infected patients. Data from this analysis suggest low CD4+ count, black ethnicity, and male sex are consistently strongest correlates of overall anemia; women are significantly more likely to have marked anemia.

Published 9 February 2007 in Curr Med Res Opin, 23(2): 343-55.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 HIV Research Today. All Rights Reserved.