A descriptive analysis of concurrent alcohol and substance use among patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of concurrent alcohol and substance use among patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection and to compare demographic and clinical characteristics of those with concurrent alcohol and substance to those with alcohol or substance use, and to those who were abstinent. We conducted an analysis of patient reported outcomes data of patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection (n = 327) who transitioned from primary care to sub-specialty care for evaluation of candidacy for HCV treatment at a university-affiliated HIV Clinic. The prevalence of self-reported concurrent alcohol and substance use was 33%. A higher proportion of those with concurrent alcohol and substance use were currently smoking tobacco, and those who were abstinent had higher ratings of health-related quality of life compared to those with alcohol or substance use. To reduce patients’ risk for progression to advanced stages of HIV, HCV, and liver-related disease due to continued alcohol and substance and tobacco use, social workers and other health care professionals are encouraged to develop and implement intervention strategies to assist patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection in efforts to achieve behavioral change.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• HCV
• alcohol use
• substance use
• tobacco smoking

Ackowledgements

The authors have no acknowledgements.

Declaration of interest statement

Dr. Sims has received research support from National Institute on Drug Abuse and Dr. Chandler has received research support from the National Institute of Mental Health. The remaining authors have no declarations of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse under Grant R25DA028567 to Dr. Sims, and by the National Institute of Mental Health under Grant R25MH067127 to Dr. Chandler.