Resumo

KUMMEROW, Maren et al. Unexpected low frequency of respiratory symptoms in an HIV-positive urban sub-Saharan population compared to an HIV-negative control group. South. Afr. j. HIV med. (Online) [online]. 2019, vol.20, n.1, pp.1-7. ISSN 2078-6751.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajhivmed.v20i1.1010.

BACKGROUND: Chronic respiratory illnesses and respiratory infections are common in HIV-positive populations. It seems reasonable that HIV-positive people experience more respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and breathlessness, than those who are HIV-negative OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine the frequency of respiratory symptoms in an urban African HIV-positive population METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2016-2017. Four groups of participants were included: HIV-positive participants (1) not yet on antiretroviral therapy (ART), (2) on first-line ART, (3) on second-line ART and (4) age- and sex-matched HIV-negative controls. Data were collected on socio-demographics, respiratory risk factors and respiratory symptoms. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine if respiratory symptoms differed between groups and to identify determinants associated with symptoms RESULTS: Overall, 547 participants were included, of whom 62% were women, with a median age of 37 years. Of these patients, 63% (347) were HIV-positive, 26% were ART-naïve, 24% were on first-line ART and 50% were on second-line ART. Cough and/or productive cough was reported by 27 (5%), wheezing by 9 (2%) and breathlessness by 118 (22%) of the participants. The frequency of these symptoms did not differ by HIV status after adjustment for age and sex. Breathlessness was associated with age, female sex, obesity, a history of respiratory infection and a history of airway hyper-reactivity CONCLUSION: The frequency of respiratory symptoms was low in our study population except for breathlessness. HIV-positive participants, whether or not on ART, did not experience more symptoms than HIV-negative participants

Palavras-chave : respiratory complaints; cough; HIV; ART; sub-saharan Africa.

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