Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life in People Living with HIV Who Present to Care with AIDS or Severe Immunodeficiency: The CoRIS AIDS Survivors Study

Abstract

Our aim was to evaluate long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 253 people living with HIV (PLH) from the CoRIS cohort presenting to care with advanced HIV disease (AIDS or CD4 ? 100 cells/µL) and who had survived ? 5 years. Participants completed the WHOQOL-HIV-BREF and EQ-5D-5 L questionnaires. Clinical and immunological data were provided by the CoRIS at enrollment and on questionnaire completion. Linear repeated measures analyses assessed the evolution of immunological markers. Partial least squares structural equation modeling showed the longitudinal impact of baseline immunological markers on HRQoL. High baseline CD4 counts predicted higher WHOQOL-HIV-BREF independence scores (p = 0.021) and a marginally higher EQ-5D-5 L index value (p = 0.058), which was also associated with CD8 (p = 0.015). A higher CD4/CD8 ratio predicted lower scores on the WHOQOL-HIV-BREF 'spirituality, religion and personal belief' dimension (p = 0.006). Currently, PLH who present with advanced HIV disease achieve a moderate long-term HRQoL, with room for improvement.