Cost-effectiveness of clinical interventions for AIDS wasting.

Economic studies of HIV/AIDS interventions are important for providing cost-effective care. This paper presents a costeffectiveness study of a three-arm clinical trial conducted at Tufts University School of Medicine/New England Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts that treated 50 patients with AIDS wasting from March 1998 through January 2001. This study compared the costs and impacts of a nutritional counseling intervention alone (NC arm), the nutrition intervention with oxandrolone (OX arm), and the nutrition intervention with progressive resistance training (PRTarm) for the treatment of AIDS wasting. The cost of each intervention was derived for both the three-month clinical trial and a six-month estimated community model (ECM), its projected adaptation to community-based medical care. The cost determination involved obtaining and multiplying unit economic costs and quantities expended of each resource within each study arm. The ECM average cost per client in the cost-effectiveness analysis incorporated both institutional and societal perspectives. The costeffectiveness analysis compared the cost of each intervention to its quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gain (Zeckhauser and Shepard, 1976). From a societal perspective, for the NC arm, the cost per client totaled US dollars 983 for the actual and US dollars 596 under the ECM. For the OX arm, the cost per client totaled US dollars 3,772 for the actual study and US dollars 3,385 under the ECM. For the PRT arm, the cost per client totaled US dollars 3,189 for the actual study and US dollars 2,987 under the ECM. Under the societal perspective the cost per QALY was US dollars 55,000 (range: US dollars 51,000 to US dollars 83,000) for the NC arm, US dollars 151,000 (range: US dollars 149,000 to US dollars 171,000) for the OX arm, and US dollars 65,000 (range: US dollars 44,000 to US dollars 104,000) for the PRTarm. When using only an institutional perspective, the cost per QALY was US dollars 45,000 (range: US dollars 42,000-US dollars 64,000) for the NC arm, US dollars 147,000 (range: US dollars 147,000 to US dollars 163,000) for the OX arm, and US dollars 31,000 (US dollars 21,000 to US dollars 44,000) for the PRTarm. This paper shows that cost and cost-effectiveness analyses can be adapted to a community setting by combining information from community practice and costs with data from a randomized trial. Compared to other AIDS treatments, such as highly active antiretroviral therapies, all three interventions were affordable, but their cost-effectiveness was intermediate. Oxandrolone was the least cost effective of the interventions, even compared to nutrition alone, as it included similar or somewhat greater costs for less of an increase in quality of life. PRT was the most cost-effective treatment for AIDS wasting, particularly from an institutional perspective. Third party payers should consider coverage of PRT.

Nutrition in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Despite tremendous advances in treatment, persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection commonly experience a variety of nutritional problems, such as weight loss, fat redistribution, and obesity. We discuss basic dietary and metabolic problems as they pertain to persons with HIV infection and provide practical suggestions for their management. In all persons, changes in weight are caused by disruptions of energy balance, which can be disturbed by alterations in energy intake (effective ingestion of calories), energy expenditure (use of calories), or both. Factors that contribute to the disturbance of energy balance are discussed in the context of HIV infection. Management of weight loss and weight gain may then be directed at the affected components of energy balance. This information is intended to raise health care providers' attention to nutrition in their patients, including monitoring of weight, dietary issues, and relevant symptoms, and to encourage liaisons with experienced dietitians and exercise trainers.

Management trends. Resting energy expenditure in the HAART era.

HIV infection in the HAART era is often accompanied by nutritional complications, including rapid weight loss and weight gain. Changes in weight are directly related to shifts in energy balance. Understanding the interplay between dietary intake and energy utilization is important for investigating the factors contributing to a person's weight shifts. Total energy use includes resting metabolic rate, or resting energy expenditure (REE), and voluntary activity, both of which are commonly abnormal in persons with HIV infection. There is now evidence that both the level of viral load and the use of HAART affect REE. The role of energy expenditure in lipodystrophy is unknown but is an area of research interest. The current understanding of energy balance in persons with HIV infection is explained here for the health care provider.

Elevated resting energy expenditure among HIV-seropositive persons receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the relationships between resting energy expenditure (REE), HIV RNA in plasma, and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis using data of a large cohort study of nutrition in relation to HIV disease. METHODS: HIV RNA in plasma, REE, fat-free mass (FFM), and medication regimens were assessed at 530 visits among 372 participants in a cohort study of HIV-seropositive men and women. RESULTS: HIV RNA in plasma was directly correlated with REE. After adjustment for FFM, age, CD4 cell count and HAART use, there was an increase in REE of 90 kJ/day per log10 copies/ml increase in HIV RNA [95% confidence interval (CI) 16-164; P = 0.02). HAART use had an independent effect on REE. In patients reporting HAART use, adjusted REE was 339 kJ/day higher than in those not reporting HAART use (95% CI 177-501; P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Viral load and HAART appear to exert independent effects on REE. Although HAART may decrease metabolic rate by lowering viral burden, it appears to increase metabolic demands through some mechanism(s) independent of its effect on viral burden. This may result in elevated REE despite control of viral replication.

Compliance with zidovudine therapy in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus, type 1: a cross-sectional study in a municipal hospital clinic.

PURPOSE: To determine the extent of and clinical variables associated with zidovudine compliance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A survey of 83 patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) followed in a municipal hospital clinic was performed. Compliance histories were validated by serum and urine zidovudine levels. Patient characteristics included 46% white, 63% with a history of intravenous drug use, and 59% reporting a diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex (ARC). The main outcome measure was greater than 80% compliance with prescribed doses of zidovudine over the previous week. RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent of the study patients reported greater than 80% compliance with prescribed doses of zidovudine over the previous week. The most common explanations given for missing a dose were "forgot to take zidovudine" and "did not have the medication with me." Five variables were independently associated with greater than 80% compliance as determined by stepwise multiple logistic regression: patient belief that zidovudine prolongs life (odds ratio [OR] 9.3, [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.4, 36.7]), a diagnosis of AIDS or ARC (OR 5.5, [CI 1.5, 20.4]), use of a medication timer (OR 4.4, [CI 1.0, 19.1]), no history of intravenous drug use (OR 3.7, [CI 1.0, 14.2]), and taking one to three other medications with zidovudine. CONCLUSIONS: High compliance with zidovudine was achieved by HIV-infected patients in a municipal hospital clinic, many of whom had a history of intravenous drug use. Compliance with zidovudine may be enhanced by a patient's belief that it prolongs life and the use of a medication timer for proper dosing.