Decrease in incidence rate of hospitalizations due to AIDS-defining conditions but not to non-AIDS conditions in PLWHIV on cART in 2008–2018 in Italy

Background: We aimed to describe the change in the incidence and causes of hospitalization between 2008 and 2018 among persons living with HIV (PLWHIV) who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) from 2008 onwards in Italy. Methods: We included participants in the ICONA (Italian Cohort Naïve Antiretrovirals) cohort who started ART in 2008. All the hospitalizations occurring during the first 30 days from the start of ART were excluded. Hospitalizations were classified as due to: AIDS-defining conditions (ADC), non-ADC infections and non-infections/non-ADC (i.e., cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal-genitourinary, cancers, gastrointestinal-liver, psychiatric and other diseases). Comparisons of rates across time were assessed using Poisson regression. The Poisson multivariable model evaluated risk factors for hospitalizations, including both demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: A total of 9524 PLWHIV were included; 6.8% were drug users, 48.9% men-who-have sex with men (MSM), 39.6% heterosexual contacts; 80.8% were males, 42.3% smokers, 16.6% coinfected with HCV and 6.8% with HBV (HBsAg-positive). During 36,157 person-years of follow-up (PYFU), there were 1058 hospitalizations in 747 (7.8%) persons; they had HIV-RNA >50 copies mL in 34.9% and CD4 < 200/mmc in 27%. Causes of hospitalization were 23% ADC, 22% non-ADC infections, 55% non-infections/non-ADC (11% cancers; 9% gastrointestinal-liver; 6% cardiovascular; 5% renal-genitourinary; 5% psychiatric; 4% pulmonary; 15% other). Over the study period, the incidence rate (IR) decreased significantly (from 5.8 per 100 PYFU in 2008–2011 to 2.21 per 100 PYFU in 2016–2018). Age > 50 years, intravenous drug use (IDU), family history of cardiovascular disease, HIV-RNA > 50, CD4 < 200, were associated with a higher hospitalization risk. Conclusions: In our population of PLWHIV, the rate of hospitalization decreased over time.