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Wenger DS, Triplette M, Shahrir S, Akgun KM, Wongtrakool C, Brown ST, Kim JW, Soo Hoo GW, Rodriguez-Barradas MC, Huang L, Feemster LC, Zifodya J, Crothers K. Associations of marijuana with markers of chronic lung disease in people living with HIV. HIV Medicine. 2021 Feb 1; 22(2):92-101.
OBJECTIVES: The relationship between marijuana use and markers of chronic lung disease in people living with HIV (PLWH) is poorly understood. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the Examinations of HIV-Associated Lung Emphysema (EXHALE) study, including 162 HIV-positive patients and 138 participants without HIV. We modelled marijuana exposure as: (i) current daily or weekly marijuana smoking vs. monthly or less often; or (ii) cumulative marijuana smoking (joint-years). Linear and logistic regression estimated associations between marijuana exposure and markers of lung disease, adjusted for tobacco smoking and other factors. RESULTS: In PLWH, current daily or weekly marijuana use was associated with a larger forced vital capacity (FVC), larger total lung capacity and increased odds of radiographic emphysema compared with marijuana non-smokers in adjusted models; these associations were not statistically significant in participants without HIV. Marijuana joint-years were associated with higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s and FVC in PLWH but not with emphysema. CONCLUSIONS: In PLWH, marijuana smoking was associated with higher lung volumes and potentially with radiographic emphysema. No consistently negative associations were observed between marijuana and measures of chronic lung health.