Autonomic neuropathy in HIV is unrecognized and associated with medical morbidity

Autonomic dysfunction is common in HIV. However, its clinical impact is not well understood and its protean symptoms make it difficult to diagnose. We sought to determine: (1) whether autonomic neuropathy is associated with morbidity and predicted mortality in HIV as measured by the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) index; and (2) if healthcare providers recognize the diagnosis of autonomic neuropathy. Data were obtained from 102 HIV-infected adults enrolled in a prevalence study of autonomic dysfunction from 2011-2012. Participants were predominantly minority with nearly equal numbers of men and women. Most were receiving an antiretroviral regimen with a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor backbone and a base of a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, protease inhibitor, or integrase inhibitor. Autonomic neuropathy was defined using a laboratory-based autonomic assessment, the Composite Autonomic Severity Score (CASS). Medical records were reviewed for the year prior to the autonomic assessment. We found that the autonomic neuropathy score (CASS) was associated with the VACS index. We also found that among 53 participants with symptomatic autonomic neuropathy, the diagnosis had been considered for only one. The majority of the symptoms were either unexplained or attributed to medication side effects. This study demonstrates that autonomic neuropathy in HIV is associated with serious co-morbid illnesses known to increase mortality risk, and that HIV healthcare providers rarely consider autonomic neuropathy in their differential diagnoses. Future studies are needed to determine if autonomic neuropathy is an independent risk factor for mortality in HIV, and to raise awareness of its signs and symptoms.