Luis Espinoza
Tanzania
Research Article
The Impact of Alcohol use during Seemingly Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy: Risk of Blips and Rebounds
Author(s): María José Míguez-Burbano, Mario Stevenson, Clery Quiros, Luis Espinoza and Wenyaw ChanMaría José Míguez-Burbano, Mario Stevenson, Clery Quiros, Luis Espinoza and Wenyaw Chan
Background: After achieving “clinically undetectable levels”, many HIV positive individuals remain in a phase called residual viremia. Some of these patients have viral blips, while others have viral rebounds, but little is known about their causes. Our objective was to identify the rate and determinants of viral load dynamics, particularly the effect of hazardous alcohol use. Methods: We evaluated 400 cohort participants starting ART and comprehensively assessed alcohol intakes using validated instruments. Viral load (VL) was measured at four time points (baseline, 6 12 and 18 months), along with potential covariates, such as demographics, CD4, CD8, platelets, alcohol use profiles, and medication adherence. VL suppression was assessed at 6 months and then based on prior published work, viral trajectories were censored according to the following categories: reference Group.. View More»
