March 21, 2011
From CROI, March 2011: Both HIV infection and HCV infection independently increases the risk of bone loss. The results from one study at CROI reported a higher risk for bone fractures due to co-infection with both, and was higher in women. The study looked at this risk in co-infected people on HIV treatment.
The study examined the records of more than 800,000 people (36,950 co-infected, 276,901 HCV mono-infected, 95,827 HIV mono-infected, and 366,829 uninfected people) from medical records in Medicaid programs in 5 states from 1995 to 2005. In all groups, between one-third and one-half were women.
| Incr. risk compared to uninfect. | Incr. risk compared to HIV only | |
| WOMEN, co-infected | ||
| Hip fractures | 150% | 77% |
| Spinal fractures | 64% | 65% |
| MEN, co-infected | ||
| Hip fractures | 207% | 39% |
| Spinal fractures | 37% | 2 |
The strength of this study is the number of people it included. However, this analysis examined the records of already completed medical visits (called retrospective study), rather than designing a study that specifically addresses bone loss and fracture in co-infection (prospective study). Although these results may make sense given that HIV treatment increases bone loss to some degree, a randomized prospective study should be done to more fully detail this phenomenon.
RESEARCH STUDY:
HIV/HCV Co-infection Increases Fracture Risk Compared to HCV Mono-infected, HIV Mono-infected, and Uninfected Patients. Volk J, et al. Poster #914.