Cognitive Burden of Common Non-antiretroviral Medications in HIV-Infected Women.

OBJECTIVE: The aging HIV population has increased comorbidity burden and consequently non-antiretroviral medication utilization. Many non-antiretroviral medications have known neurocognitive-adverse effects ("NC-AE medications"). We assessed the cognitive effects of NC-AE medications in HIV+ and HIV- women. METHODS: One thousand five hundred fifty-eight participants (1037 HIV+; mean age 46) from the Women's Interagency HIV Study completed a neuropsychological test battery between 2009 and 2011. The total number of NC-AE medications and subgroups (eg, anticholinergics) were calculated based on self-report. Generalized linear models for non-normal data were used to examine the cognitive burden of medications and factors that exacerbate these effects. RESULTS: HIV+ women reported taking more NC-AE medications vs. HIV- women (P < 0.05). NC-AE medication use altogether was not associated with cognitive performance. However, among NC-AE medication subgroups, anticholinergic-acting medications, but not opioids or anxiolytics/anticonvulsants, were negatively associated with performance. HIV status moderated the association between these NC-AE medication subgroups and performance (P's < 0.05). HIV-serostatus differences (HIV- < HIV+) in global, learning, fluency, and motor function were greatest among women taking >1 anticholinergic medications. HIV-serostatus differences in performance on learning and psychomotor speed were also greatest among women taking 1 or more anxiolytics/anticonvulsants and 1 or more opioids, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: HIV+ women have increased cognitive vulnerabilities to anticholinergic, anxiolytic/anticonvulsant, and opioid medications. Potential synergy between these medications and HIV may explain some HIV-related cognitive impairments. It may be important clinically to consider these specific types of medications as a contributor to impaired cognitive performance in HIV+ women and assess the cost/benefit of treatment dosage for underlying conditions.

Variability in C-reactive protein is associated with cognitive impairment in women living with and without HIV: a longitudinal study.

Despite the availability of effective antiretroviral therapies, cognitive impairment (CI) remains prevalent in HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals. Evidence from primarily cross-sectional studies, in predominantly male samples, implicates monocyte- and macrophage-driven inflammatory processes linked to HIV-associated CI. Thus, peripheral systemic inflammatory markers may be clinically useful biomarkers in tracking HIV-associated CI. Given sex differences in immune function, we focused here on whether mean and intra-individual variability in inflammatory marker-predicted CI in HIV+ and HIV- women. Seventy-two HIV+ (36 with CI) and 58 HIV- (29 with CI) propensity-matched women participating in the Women's Interagency HIV Study completed a neuropsychological battery once between 2009 and 2011, and performance was used to determine CI status. Analysis of 13 peripheral immune markers was conducted on stored biospecimens at three time points (7 and 3.5 years before neuropsychological data collection and concurrent with data collection). HIV+ women showed alterations in 8 immune markers compared to HIV- women. The strongest predictors of CI across HIV+ and HIV- women were lower mean soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNFRI) levels, higher mean interleukin (IL)-6 levels, and greater variability in C-reactive protein (CRP) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 (p values < 0.05). Stratified by HIV, the only significant predictor of CI was greater variability in CRP for both HIV+ and HIV- women (p values < 0.05). This variability predicted lower executive function, attention/working memory, and psychomotor speed in HIV+ but only learning in HIV- women (p values < 0.05). Intra-individual variability in CRP levels over time may be a good predictor of CI in predominately minority low-socioeconomic status midlife women.