AIDS Therapy Evaluation in the Netherlands (ATHENA) national observational HIV cohort: cohort profile

Abstract

PurposeIn 1998, the AIDS Therapy Evaluation in the Netherlands (ATHENA) national observational HIV cohort was established to demonstrate the lifesaving effectiveness of triple combination antiretroviral therapy, including HIV-protease inhibitors, that had recently been made available for clinical use. Subsequently, the HIV Monitoring Foundation was established by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport to continue ATHENA as an open cohort in order to continue the registration and monitoring of all HIV-positive people as an integral part of HIV care in all 26 HIV treatment centres in the Netherlands.ParticipantsTo date, a total of 25 036 participants have been enrolled in the cohort, with 263 600 person-years of follow-up. As of 1 January 2017, 19 035 HIV-1-positive participants were known to be in care: 18 824 adults (81% men and 19% women) and 211 children (47% boys and 53% girls). The remaining 6001 participants had either died (46%), were lost to care (29%) or had moved abroad (25%).Findings to dateToday, with over 20 years of follow-up, the ATHENA cohort has provided extensive knowledge on HIV treatment, comorbidities and coinfections and created insight into the transmission dynamics of the HIV epidemic.Future plansATHENA continues to enrol and monitor HIV positive people entering HIV care in the Netherlands. Future research will continue to provide tangible input into HIV care and prevention policies in the Netherlands and internationally.

Acute hepatitis C infection among adults with HIV in the Netherlands between 2003 and 2016: a capture–recapture analysis for the 2013 to 2016 period

“…The cohort does not schedule study visits: follow up of participants, and thereby the availability of data, depends on the frequency of clinical visits. Details about enrolment, data collection and follow up are described in the ATHENA cohort profile [11].…”

“…At initiation, the ATHENA cohort [11] at SHM was approved by the institutional review board of all participating centres and patient consent is received by opting out. Data are pseudonymised (i.e.…”

“…In the Netherlands, the Dutch HIV Monitoring Foundation (Stichting HIV Monitoring; SHM) [11] registers acute HCV infection among people with HIV since 2000, and the National Registry for Notifiable Diseases at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu; RIVM) [7] registers acute HCV infections among people irrespective of HIV-serostatus since 2003. While the RIVM and SHM have reported similar trends of acute HCV infection over the years, consistently more cases were registered among HIV-positive MSM by the SHM, compared with the RIVM [7,12].…”

What do the changing patterns of comorbidity burden in people living with HIV mean for long‐term management? Perspectives from European HIV cohorts

“…Longer survival translates into an ageing HIV population. It is estimated that by 2030, 73% of the HIV-positive population in the Netherlands will be aged 50 years or older [6]. An ageing population with HIV presents new challenges [7], such as an increased risk of noncommunicable diseases caused by the ageing process itself, HIV infection or ART-associated complications or their interactions [8].…”

Acute hepatitis C infection among adults with HIV in the Netherlands: a capture-recapture analysis

“…number of cases registered by SHM N2 = number of cases registered by RIVM N12 = number of cases registered by SHM and RIVM Nestimated = estimated number of casesEthicsAt initiation, the ATHENA cohort[8] at SHM was approved by the institutional review board of all participating centres and patient consent is received by opting out. Data are All rights reserved.…”