Implications of Cognitive Impairment on Antihypertensive Medication Use in HIV

TL;DR

People with HIV who experience cognitive decline tend to be prescribed more antihypertensive medications, possibly due to treatment challenges or poor adherence.

Contribution

This study reveals a link between worsening cognitive performance and increased antihypertensive use specifically in people with HIV.

Findings

Worsening cognitive performance in PWH correlated with increased antihypertensives (p = 0.012).

PWH on more anticholinergics showed worse cognitive performance over time (p < 0.001).

PWH had lower mean arterial pressure compared to those without HIV after demographic adjustments.

Abstract

Background: Aging-related comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and neurocognitive impairment are more common among people with HIV (PWH). Hypertension (HTN) has been implicated in cognitive decline, and antihypertensives with anticholinergic properties may exacerbate this decline. Our research probed the relationship between neurocognitive performance and antihypertensives in hypertensive PWH and in those without HIV (PWoH), examining whether increased antihypertensives followed the worsening in neurocognitive performance. Methods: This longitudinal analysis encompassed seven visits over five years, enrolled between 1999 and 2022. Participants were included if they reported HTN or used antihypertensives. All participants underwent comprehensive cognitive assessments, and their global cognitive performance was evaluated using summary, demographically corrected T-scores. The association between the global T-score and the number of antihypertensives was evaluated using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Summary regression-based change score (sRCS) was analyzed as an indicator of global performance over time. Results: Among 1158 hypertensive PWH (79.9% were on ART), worsening cognitive performance was associated with an increased number of antihypertensives (p = 0.012) but not in PWoH (p = 0.58). PWH had lower mean arterial pressure (MAP) than PWoH after adjusting for demographics (β = −5.05, p = 2.3 × 10−11). In PWH, an association between mean arterial pressure (MAP) and sRCS suggested that those with cognitive improvement had lower MAP (p = 0.027). PWH taking more anticholinergics were more likely to have worse cognitive performance over time (p < 0.001). Conclusions: PWH with declining neurocognitive performance over time used increasing numbers of antihypertensives, suggesting that their providers prescribed more antihypertensives because of either treatment refractory HTN or poor adherence. Prescribers should avoid using antihypertensives with anticholinergic properties when possible.

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