The detrimental effect of alcohol on HIV treatment adherence : A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sammanfattning: Introduction: The fight against HIV is addressed in both the Sustainable Development Goals and in the 90-90-90-goals set by the United Nations.Emerging evidence is suggesting a “neglected interface” between alcohol consumption and HIV. Earlier studies has sought out to quantify this relationship, but there are still uncertainties regarding the generalizability of the results and if this also applies to different types of drinking intensities. Methods: This study applied a systematic search for articles published between 1990-2017 in Pubmed/Medline. 46 studies was included in the final analysis. Results: Alcohol was found to have a significant detrimental effect on treatment adherence on all drinking intensities. All but one analysis showed a significant amount of heterogeneity. Conclusion: The findings of this study goes in line with previous research but adds insight on the harm of moderate drinking. The result of this and earlier findings give a clear point of direction of alcohol consumption guidelines in people living with HIV. If global targets of viral suppression should be achieved, a more holistic approach where the prevention of non-communicable diseases and infectious diseases go hand in hand might actually be the only way forward.