Tuberculosis Diagnosis in People with HIV Increases Risk of Death Within 10 Years

Among people with HIV in Latin America, those diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) at an initial clinic visit were about twice as likely to die within 10 years as people not initially diagnosed with TB, according to findings from a large observational study. This increased risk persisted despite the availability of TB treatment and mirrored patterns seen previously in HIV-negative populations, according to research supported by NIAID. Investigators from the NIAID-supported Caribbean, Central and South America Network for HIV Epidemiology presented the findings Mar. 6 at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle.

People with HIV are at greater risk of TB disease than HIV-negative people due to HIV-related immune system damage as well as geographical and behavioral risk factors shared by both diseases. In 2017, the World Health Organization estimates there were 920,000 new TB cases among individuals with HIV globally, and approximately 300,000 people with HIV died from TB. Due to this large burden of HIV and TB co-infection, NIAID supports research to improve TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment in the context of HIV infection.

“Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death for people with HIV globally,” said NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci. “This new analysis shows how devastating TB can be for people with HIV and underscores the need to do more to prevent and treat this co-infection.”