Despite widespread use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), people with HIV (PWH) continue to suffer substantial morbidity and mortality from pulmonary diseases. We sought to evaluate the prevalence of pulmonary symptoms, evaluations, and diagnoses (both infectious and noninfectious) among PWH receiving care at one of the largest HIV clinics in the United States. All PWH seen at the Infectious Disease Program in Atlanta, Georgia, from July 2013 to June 2018 were included. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the odds of all-cause mortality. Among 8387 patients, median age was 48 years, 35% had documented smoking, 74% were male, and the 47% with ≥1 pulmonary symptom or diagnosis were older and had higher rates of smoking compared to those without any symptoms or diagnoses (p-values <0.0001). Percent on ART was 97% and 81% for individuals with and without symptoms or diagnoses, respectively (p-value <0.0001). Patients with an infectious diagnosis were more likely to have a diagnostic test ordered than those with a noninfectious diagnosis (p-value <0.0001). After adjustment for demographic and clinical risk factors, odds of death were 2.1 times greater [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.3-3.5] among those with a pulmonary symptom or diagnosis compared to those without. Despite a high prevalence of pulmonary symptoms and diagnoses in this large cohort of PWH, many did not have a complete diagnostic evaluation, particularly those with noninfectious diagnoses. Greater awareness of evaluation and treatment of noninfectious pulmonary diseases among HIV care providers will be critical to improving long-term outcomes for PWH.
Keywords: HIV; antiretroviral therapy; lung diseases; obstructive.