TOPLINE

Cannabis use in the past month was associated with a higher risk for falls among adults living with HIV. However, after adjusting for other substance use, prescribed medications, and comorbidities, the association was no longer statistically significant.

METHODOLOGY

• Researchers conducted a longitudinal analysis of 957 adults with HIV aged 40 years or older (80.8% men) enrolled in the HIV Infection, Aging, and Immune Function Long-term Observational study (HAILO) at 32 clinical research sites in the continental US and Puerto Rico between November 2013 and July 2014, with follow-up through December 2021.
• Participants completed biannual fall assessments and annual substance use questionnaires; current cannabis use was defined as any use in the past month.
• The outcome evaluated was the occurrence of falls following cannabis use assessments and was categorized as no falls vs any falls.
• The association between cannabis use and fall risk was assessed, adjusting for various confounding factors.

TAKEAWAY

• At baseline, 18.2% of participants used cannabis and 81.8% of participants did not.
• Cannabis use was associated with increased risk for falls (partially adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.27; P = .029).
• After adjustment for time-varying confounders including other substance use, medication use, heavy alcohol use, neuropathy, and smoking, the association was attenuated and no longer statistically significant (P = .49).
• Participants who reported current cigarette use and previous cigarette use had a higher risk for falls than those who reported never smoking cigarettes (aRR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.28-2.04 and aRR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.05-1.66, respectively).

IN PRACTICE

"[The] findings indicate that a moderate association between cannabis use and increased risk of falls over the following year is likely mainly due to the confounding effects of cigarette smoking. Cannabis use and cigarette smoking may therefore serve as indicators for risk stratification in the care of adults aging with HIV," the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE

The study was led by Jennifer A. Manuzak, PhD, Division of Immunology, Tulane National Biomedical Research Center in Covington, Louisiana. It was published online on August 11 in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

LIMITATIONS

Cannabis use was self-reported. Self-reporting of falls may be subject to recall bias. The study could not assess the effect on the association based on different cannabis products or routes of administration.

DISCLOSURES

The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. One author reported receiving grants from the National Institute on Aging, and reported receiving grant support from Gilead Sciences and consulting payments from ViiV, Gilead, and Merck, all paid to the University of Colorado. Another author reported receiving support from Eli Lilly and Janssen Pharmaceuticals in the past.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.