Veterans with HIV May Have Higher Risk of Death Associated with Depression

A new study focusing on the relationship between depressive disorders or symptoms, HIV status, and mortality has found that the symptoms of depression are moderately associated with death among veterans with HIV, but not among those without HIV infection.

Investigators from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) used data from participants of the Veteran’s Aging Cohort Study to compare the risk of death among US veterans who were depressed to those not suffering from depression. The authors then compared the association between depression and death among those with HIV to those without HIV. Depression was measured by both clinical diagnostic codes and by a depressive symptom questionnaire.

Among those with an HIV infection, investigators found a 23% increased mortality risk associated with elevated depressive symptoms through the questionnaire, but they did not find an increased mortality risk in depression through the diagnostic codes.

For uninfected people, there was a 6% increased mortality risk associated with depressive disorders measured by diagnostic codes but no significant increased mortality risk for elevated depressive symptoms assessed by the questionnaire.

A version of this article was originally published by Specialty Pharmacy Times. View the full article atSpecialtyPharmacyTimes.com.