Brief Report: Preadmission VACS Index as a Predictor of Hospital Acute Kidney Injury in People With HIV

The Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) Index is a summary measure of routinely obtained clinical variables that predicts numerous health outcomes. Because there are currently no tools to predict acute kidney injury (AKI) in people with HIV (PWH), we investigated the association of preadmission VACS Index with hospital AKI in PWH.

We conducted an observational study of PWH hospitalized in a New York City health system between 2010 and 2019. The VACS Index, calculated using outpatient laboratory values within 8-365 days of admission, was examined continuously and in quartiles. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, and ICU admission, determined the association of the VACS Index with AKI.

Among 1186 PWH, median age was 53 years, 43.5% were women, 86.2% were Hispanic or Black, 23.1% were coinfected with hepatitis C, and 65% were virally suppressed (<200 copies/mL). Overall AKI incidence was 20.9%. The proportion with AKI was higher by increasing VACS Index quartile: 10.7%, 18.6%, 28.1%, and 60.7% in quartiles 1-4, respectively. There was a graded, independent association of VACS Index quartile with AKI. Compared with those in the lowest quartile, the adjusted relative hazard of AKI was 1.55, 1.92, and 3.07 times higher in quartiles 2-4, respectively ( P for trend <0.001).

Preadmission VACS Index is associated with hospital AKI. Use of the VACS Index may allow for early identification of PWH at risk for AKI and initiation of preventative strategies. These findings should be externally validated in other health systems, including its predictive performance in specific hospital settings.