Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is associated with the timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study. STUDY METHODS: Prospective cohort study between January 1996 and March 2002. Differences in the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation were compared between CAM users and non-CAM users using a logrank test. Cox regression model was used to assess associations of CAM exposures with time to HAART initiation. MAIN OUTCOME AND EXPOSURES: Study outcome was time from January 1996 to initiation of HAART. Primary exposure was use of any CAM modality before January 1996, and secondary exposures included the number and type of CAM modalities used (ingestible CAM medication, body practice, or spiritual healing) during the same period. RESULTS: One thousand thirty-four HIV-infected women contributed a total of 4987 person-visits during follow-up. At any time point, the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation among CAM users was higher than that among non-CAM users. After adjustment for potential confounders, those reporting CAM use were 1.34 times (95% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.64) more likely to initiate HAART than non-CAM users. CONCLUSION: Female CAM users initiated HAART regimens earlier than non-CAM users. Initiation of HAART is an important clinical marker, but more research is needed to elucidate the role specific CAM modalities play in HIV disease progression.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 18-22 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 5 |
State | Published - Sep 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Complementary and alternative medicine
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Association of complementary and alternative medicine use with highly active antiretroviral therapy initiation. / Merenstein, Daniel; Yang, Yang; Schneider, Michael; Goparaju, Lakshmi; Weber, Kathleen; Sharma, Anjali; Levine, Alexandra M.; Sharp, Gerald B.; Gandhi, Monica; Liu, Chenglong.
In: Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, Vol. 14, No. 5, 09.2008, p. 18-22.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Association of complementary and alternative medicine use with highly active antiretroviral therapy initiation.
AU - Merenstein, Daniel
AU - Yang, Yang
AU - Schneider, Michael
AU - Goparaju, Lakshmi
AU - Weber, Kathleen
AU - Sharma, Anjali
AU - Levine, Alexandra M.
AU - Sharp, Gerald B.
AU - Gandhi, Monica
AU - Liu, Chenglong
PY - 2008/9
Y1 - 2008/9
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To assess whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is associated with the timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study. STUDY METHODS: Prospective cohort study between January 1996 and March 2002. Differences in the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation were compared between CAM users and non-CAM users using a logrank test. Cox regression model was used to assess associations of CAM exposures with time to HAART initiation. MAIN OUTCOME AND EXPOSURES: Study outcome was time from January 1996 to initiation of HAART. Primary exposure was use of any CAM modality before January 1996, and secondary exposures included the number and type of CAM modalities used (ingestible CAM medication, body practice, or spiritual healing) during the same period. RESULTS: One thousand thirty-four HIV-infected women contributed a total of 4987 person-visits during follow-up. At any time point, the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation among CAM users was higher than that among non-CAM users. After adjustment for potential confounders, those reporting CAM use were 1.34 times (95% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.64) more likely to initiate HAART than non-CAM users. CONCLUSION: Female CAM users initiated HAART regimens earlier than non-CAM users. Initiation of HAART is an important clinical marker, but more research is needed to elucidate the role specific CAM modalities play in HIV disease progression.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is associated with the timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) initiation among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study. STUDY METHODS: Prospective cohort study between January 1996 and March 2002. Differences in the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation were compared between CAM users and non-CAM users using a logrank test. Cox regression model was used to assess associations of CAM exposures with time to HAART initiation. MAIN OUTCOME AND EXPOSURES: Study outcome was time from January 1996 to initiation of HAART. Primary exposure was use of any CAM modality before January 1996, and secondary exposures included the number and type of CAM modalities used (ingestible CAM medication, body practice, or spiritual healing) during the same period. RESULTS: One thousand thirty-four HIV-infected women contributed a total of 4987 person-visits during follow-up. At any time point, the cumulative incidence of HAART initiation among CAM users was higher than that among non-CAM users. After adjustment for potential confounders, those reporting CAM use were 1.34 times (95% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.64) more likely to initiate HAART than non-CAM users. CONCLUSION: Female CAM users initiated HAART regimens earlier than non-CAM users. Initiation of HAART is an important clinical marker, but more research is needed to elucidate the role specific CAM modalities play in HIV disease progression.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=58149393061&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=58149393061&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 18780580
AN - SCOPUS:58149393061
VL - 14
SP - 18
EP - 22
JO - Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
JF - Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
SN - 1078-6791
IS - 5
ER -