Background: Current guidelines advocate for antiretroviral therapy (ART) simplification in patients on complicated regimens. Simplifying ART improves patient adherence and quality of life, but changes in drug interactions (DIs) are uncertain. Objective: This study assessed changes in DIs following ART simplification in patients with HIV. Methods: This was an observational, retrospective cohort study of patients attending an urban HIV clinic. Patients were included if they had ART simplification (a decreased number of daily tablets) and ≥1 concomitant medication (CM). Total DI scores were generated for each patient pre–ART simplification and post–ART simplification using an online DI database. Each ART-CM pair labeled as “do not co-administer” was given a score of 2, “potential interaction” a score of 1, or “no interaction” a score of 0. Differences in total DI scores following simplification were analyzed with a Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. Predictors of DI score reductions were examined with linear regression. Results: A total of 99 patients were included. Their median age was 54 years, and 79% were male. The median durations of HIV infection and ART were 16 and 10 years, respectively. Patients were receiving an average of 4.5 CMs. Median interaction scores presimplification and postsimplification were 3 (interquartile range [IQR], 1-6) and 1 (IQR, 0-2) respectively ( P < 0.001). Predictors of score reductions were the patient’s number of CMs, discontinuing a protease inhibitor, and switching to a dolutegravir-based regimen. Conclusion and Relevance: ART simplification decreased the incidence of DIs in this analysis of patients with advanced age who had ART experience and polypharmacy.

Background: Recent studies suggest that statins are underprescribed in patients living with HIV (PLWH) at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), but none have assessed if eligible patients receive the correct statin and intensity compared to uninfected controls. Objectives: The primary objective was to determine whether statin-eligible PLWH are less likely to receive appropriate statin therapy compared to patients without HIV. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated statin eligibility and prescribing among patients in both an HIV and internal medicine clinic at an urban, academic medical center from June-September 2018 using the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline on treating blood cholesterol to reduce ASCVD risk. Patients were assessed for eligibility and actual treatment with appropriate statin therapy. Characteristics of patients appropriately and not appropriately treated were compared with chi-square testing and predictors for receiving appropriate statin therapy were determined with logistic regression. Results: A total of 221/300 study subjects were statin-eligible. Fewer statin-eligible PLWH were receiving the correct statin intensity for their risk benefit group versus the uninfected control group (30.2% vs 67.0%, p < 0.001). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, PLWH were significantly less likely to receive appropriate statin therapy, while those with polypharmacy were more likely to receive appropriate statin therapy. Conclusion: Our study reveals that PLWH may be at a disadvantage in receiving appropriate statin therapy for ASCVD risk reduction. This is important given the heightened risk for ASCVD in this population, and strategies that address this gap in care should be explored.

BackgroundPatients living with HIV (PLWH) at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) should receive risk reduction interventions recommended in current guidelines. This includes routine ASCVD risk assessments and when eligible, statins selected and dosed to achieve appropriate low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction. Recent studies suggest that statins are underprescribed in PLWH, but none have assessed if eligible patients receive the correct statin intensity compared with uninfected controls.MethodsThis retrospective study evaluated statin eligibility and prescribing among consecutive patients in an HIV clinic and an internal medicine clinic at an urban, academic medical center from June-September 2018. To determine statin eligibility, the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline on treating blood cholesterol to reduce ASCVD risk was used. Patients aged 40–75 that had a lipid panel obtained within the last year were included. All patients were assessed to determine eligibility for and actual treatment with appropriate statin therapy. Characteristics of patients correctly and incorrectly treated with statins were compared with chi-square testing and predictors for receiving correct statin therapy were determined with logistic multivariable regression.ResultsA total of 221/300 study subjects were statin eligible (Table 1). While many eligible PLWH were receiving a statin (54/106), considerably fewer were on the correct statin intensity for their benefit group (33/106). In the univariate analysis (Table 2), correctly treated patients were less likely to be PLWH or female, and were more likely to have polypharmacy and hypertension. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis (Table 3), PLWH (OR 0.26, CI95 0.12–0.57)) were significantly less likely to receive correct statin therapy, while those with concomitant polypharmacy were significantly more likely to receive correct statin therapy (OR 5.52, CI95 1.94, 15.69).ConclusionThis study reveals that PLWH may be at a substantial disadvantage in terms of receiving correct statin therapy for ASCVD risk reduction. This finding may be particularly important given the heightened risk for ASCVD in this patient population. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.