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News
People living with HIV who also have vascular disease face a significantly higher risk of clinically elevated apathy. A new study found that more than half of those carrying both conditions met the threshold for this neuropsychiatric syndrome — marked by diminished motivation. Clinicians are being urged to formally screen for apathy in this high-risk group.
A new cross-sectional study published in AIDS Care found that vascular disease is independently associated with more frequent and more severe apathy among people with HIV (PWH). Apathy — a neuropsychiatric syndrome marked by diminished motivation — has real implications for treatment adherence and quality of life in this population.
Researchers analyzed 319 PWH and 133 HIV-negative individuals recruited from urban Southern California between 2006 and 2018. Apathy rates climbed in a clear stepwise pattern based on the number of conditions present, and both HIV and vascular disease were independent predictors of apathy severity — even after adjusting for other factors. Notably, vascular disease was not a significant predictor of general psychiatric distress, suggesting its association was more specific to apathy.
Why it matters: With vascular disease already common among aging PWH, these findings highlight an underrecognized mental health burden. Clinicians are encouraged to formally screen for apathy — or refer to behavioral health — when treating PWH with comorbid vascular conditions like hypertension.
