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A study by Dr. Marie Helleberg of
Copenhagen University Hospital and colleagues showed that individuals with HIV
infection who received proper care, but who were smokers, lose more years of
life to smoking than to HIV. The researchers examined records of approximately
3,000 individuals with HIV who were treated in Denmark from 1995 to 2010. The
patients had received good care and free access to antiretroviral therapy.
Results show that more than 60
percent of the patients’ deaths were associated with smoking, rather than HIV.
Also, there were significant differences in life expectancy between individuals
with HIV who were smokers and those who were nonsmokers. For example, a
35-year-old smoker had a life expectancy of about 63 years, while a nonsmoker
of the same age had a life expectancy of more than 78 years. The loss of years
of life associated with smoking was double that associated with HIV, and the
increased risk of death among persons with HIV who smoked was three times
higher than that of persons who did not have HIV.
The researchers note that findings
emphasize the importance of counseling persons with HIV about smoking cessation
as smoking may have a greater impact on their life expectancy than the HIV
infection.
The study, “Mortality Attributable
to Smoking Among HIV-1–Infected Individuals: A Nationwide, Population-Based
Cohort Study,” was published online in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases
(2012; doi: 10.1093/cid/cis933).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
