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Changing Patterns of Alcohol Use and Probability of Unsuppressed Viral Load Among Treated Patients with HIV Engaged in Routine Care in the United States

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Abstract

We examined HIV viral load non-suppression (\(\ge \) 200 copies/mL) subsequent to person-periods (3–18 months) bookended by two self-reports of alcohol use on a standardized patient reported outcome assessment among adults in routine HIV care. We examined the relative risk (RR) of non-suppression associated with increases and decreases in alcohol use (relative to stable use), stratified by use at the start of the person-period. Increases in drinking from abstinence were associated with higher risk of viral non-suppression (low-risk without binge: RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.03, 1.32; low-risk with binge: RR 1.35, 95% CI 1.11, 1.63; high-risk: RR 1.89, 95% CI 1.16, 3.08). Decreases in drinking from high-risk drinking were weakly, and not statistically significantly associated with lower risk of viral non-suppression. Other changes in alcohol use were not associated with viral load non-suppression. Most changes in alcohol consumption among people using alcohol at baseline were not strongly associated with viral non-suppression.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by Grants from the National Institutes of Health including K01 AA028193, K24 AA027483, R24 AI067039, U24 AA020801, P30 AI094189, P30 AI027767, P30 AI027757, P30 AI036214, P30 AI027763, P30 AI036219, U01 DA036935, P30 AI060354, P30 AI050410, and U01 AA020793.

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Correspondence to Catherine R. Lesko.

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Lesko, C.R., Nance, R.M., Lau, B. et al. Changing Patterns of Alcohol Use and Probability of Unsuppressed Viral Load Among Treated Patients with HIV Engaged in Routine Care in the United States. AIDS Behav 25, 1072–1082 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-03065-z

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