Objective: To determine the impact of self-reported marijuana use on the components of successful aging of HIV-infected persons.
Methods: Cross-sectional study of 45- to 65-year-old HIV-infected subjects on antiretroviral therapy >6 months with undetectable HIV-1 viral load. Successful aging was defined as absence of disease, adequate physical function, high quality of life (QOL), and social engagement. Clinical characteristics, physical function assessments, and QOL from short form 36 were compared between groups defined by self-reported recent marijuana use (RMU), adjusted for tobacco use, CD4 T-cell count, and time since HIV diagnosis, using logistic or linear regression for binary or continuous measures.
Results: 93 of 359 total subjects (26%) reported RMU. Demographically, patients reporting RMU had been diagnosed with HIV less recently [14 (13-16) vs 11 (10-12) years], reported smoking (48% vs 25%) and lower income (92% vs 80%) with greater prevalence than non-RMU patients; other demographics and clinical characteristics (age, CD4 T-cell count) were similar. Gender, race/ethnicity, physical outcomes, physical function, and disease burden were not significantly different. Patients reporting RMU demonstrated lower mental QOL and increased odds of low social engagement and un- or under-employment compared with nonusers.
Conclusions: The negative association between RMU and mental or social QOL should be considered when assessing the success with which HIV patients reporting RMU are aging.