Impact of Race/Ethnicity on Survival among HIV-Infected Patients in Care

Objective. To determine the prognostic influence of race/ethnicity on survival among patients infected with HIV infection.

Background. In the U.S., HIV infection occurs disproportionately in minority communities. Additionally, worse outcomes (including higher mortality) have been reported, particularly among African Americans.

Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study among 870 HIV-infected patients attending a Midwestern academic medical center. The study determined individual characteristics that were predictive of survival by using log rank tests and multivariate analysis models, after adjusting for known predictors of outcome.

Results. Low CD4 cell count (<100 cells/mm³), high viral load (>250,000 copies/mL), age older than 30, and Black race were independently predictive of poorer outcomes among patients infected with HIV.

Conclusion. We found a large disparity in survival, with African Americans with advanced disease more likely to die than whites. This finding was not explained by socioeconomic status or other confounders. Future prospective studies are warranted.