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Modeling the survival in patients with HIV by the presence of competing risks for death: sub-distribution and cause-specific hazard approach

Journal of Public Health volume 30, pages 1675–1683 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

Aim

In the presence of competing risks, patients with human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) experience death by various causes, including co-infection with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with tuberculosis (TB), AIDS, and other causes in the follow-up. This study aimed to model the survival in patients with HIV in the presence of these competing causes of death utilizing sub-distribution hazard (SDH) and cause-specific hazard (CSH) models to overcome biased estimates of the classical analyses.

Subject and methods

In this longitudinal study, patients with HIV+ diagnosis (n = 2328) were recruited from Imam Khomeini and Zamzam consulting centers from 2003 to 2012. In the presence of the competing causes of death, the SDH and CSH models evaluated the effect of underlying predictors on the cumulative incidence and instantaneous hazards, respectively, with the cmprisk package in R4.1 software.

Results

The median survival time of patients with AIDS+TB, AIDS and other causes were 7.79 (SE .84), 11.57 (SE .98), and 14.1 (SE .91), respectively. In the SDH model, CD4(350+) [AIDS: sub-distribution hazard ratio (SHR) = .13, 95% confidence interval(CI) = (.08–.19)); AIDS+TB .10(.04–.25)], antiretroviral therapy (ART) [AIDS .44(.32–.61); AIDS+TB .57(.31–.99); other .07(.02–.23)], isoniazid prophylaxis therapy (IPT) [AIDS .47(.28–.78); AIDS+TB .08(.01–.58)], and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis therapy (CPT) [AIDS .38(.22–.68)], were inversely related to hazard of death, while being a male [AIDS 2.62(1.574.39); AIDS+TB 10.43(2.32–46.83); Other 9.48(1.95–45.99)] was directly related to hazard of death. The CSH model resulted in similar estimates except for CD4(350+) which was inversely related to hazard of death by other causes.

Conclusion

Taking into account the strong association of CD4(350+), ART, IPT, CPT, and being a male with the hazard of mortality caused by the competing causes of death in patients with HIV, in both SDH and CSH models, designing sex-specific policymaking and interventional programs are recommended to prolong the survival of patients with HIV. The future treatment program can utilize the results.

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Fig. 1

Availability of data and materials

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

We would like to acknowledge the collaboration of the Research Deputy of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences for their appreciated contribution to this study. The Research Deputy of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences supported this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Modeling of Non-communicable Diseases Research Canter, Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Ghodratollah Roshanaei

  2. Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Razieh Imani

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Research center for health sciences, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Jalal Poorolajal

  4. Center for the development of interdisciplinary research in Islamic sciences and health sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi

  5. Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi

  6. Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Mahdavi Blvd, Zanjan, Iran

    Seyede Momeneh Mohammadi

Authors
  1. Ghodratollah Roshanaei
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  2. Razieh Imani
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  3. Jalal Poorolajal
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  4. Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi
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  5. Seyede Momeneh Mohammadi
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Contributions

All authors studied and confirmed the manuscript. GR, RI, and SMM perceived the study and contributed in the design of the study. GR, RI, JP, and SM contributed in data gathering. GR, RI, JP, SM, and MAJ contributed in the analyses of data and preparation of manuscript.

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Correspondence to Seyede Momeneh Mohammadi.

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The institutional review board of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences approved the protocol of the study. The participants were free to participate in the study, and privacy was preserved.

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Roshanaei, G., Imani, R., Poorolajal, J. et al. Modeling the survival in patients with HIV by the presence of competing risks for death: sub-distribution and cause-specific hazard approach. J Public Health (Berl.) 30, 1675–1683 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01523-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01523-z

Keywords

  • HIV+
  • AIDS
  • TB
  • Competing risks
  • Sub-distribution
  • Cause-specific