Association between antiretroviral therapy initiation or reinitiation timing and neuroimaging-confirmed stroke in people with HIV

Abstract

Stroke among people with HIV (PWH) has been linked to initiating or reinitiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) within six months.^1,2,3 We examined this association in a large prospective cohort. We conducted a descriptive interim analysis of data from the ongoing AVALON study investigating stroke in PWH (NIH-1R21TW012384-01A1). Over 12 months (September 2024–August 2025), we included all PWH presenting with neuroimaging-confirmed acute/subacute stroke (imaging within three weeks of symptom onset) to Western Cape public sector hospitals with brain imaging facilities (n = 10). We identified 605 PWH with stroke. Median age was 44 years (interquartile range [IQR] 36–54), with 51% female at birth (Table 1). Ischaemic stroke comprised 85% of cases, mostly involving the middle cerebral artery territory (63%). Previous stroke (> 4 weeks before current) was evident in 17%. At presentation, 76% were on ART for a median 8.2 years (IQR 3.8–11.9), most commonly tenofovir/lamivudine/dolutegravir (73%). ART was initiated/reinitiated within six months prior to stroke in 24.4%, with a median of 68 days (IQR 26–119) from initiation/reinitiation to stroke. ART adherence derived from pharmacy refills was 57% in the preceding six months. The most recent median viral load was < 50 copies/mL (IQR < 20–6777), measured a median of 85 days (IQR 4–420) before stroke. We report the largest South African cohort of PWH with stroke to date. Participants were young, on currently recommended ART, and 28% had no comorbidities. A quarter initiated/reinitiated ART within six months of stroke, supporting previous reports suggesting a potential immune reconstitution-like syndrome.