The reported incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has ranged from 0.25 to 0.96% in clinical studies, but up to 17% at autopsy. A preliminary analysis at our hospital suggested that the frequency of VTE among HIV-positive individuals might be higher than previously reported. To further evaluate this issue, we performed a retrospective study of patients with a diagnosis of VTE and/or HIV infection discharged from our hospital between July 1, 1998 and June 30, 1999. A total of 13,496 patients were discharged during the year of the study. There were 244 patients with VTE and 362 who were HIV-positive. Ten of the 244 patients with VTE were HIV-positive (4.1%). The frequency of VTE among HIV-positive individuals was 10/362 (2.8%) compared to 234/13134 (1.8%) in the non-HIV-positive group, but the difference is not statistically significant. However, in patients under age 50, the frequencies were significantly different: 10/302 (3.31%) versus 35/6594 (0.53%), respectively (p < 0.0001). The frequency of VTE in HIV-positive patients less than 50 years old (3.31%) was greater than in HIV-positive patients over 50 years of age (0/60), but the difference did not reach statistical significance. In contrast, in the non-HIV-positive group, VTE was significantly more frequent in those 50 and older compared to younger patients (3.04% versus 0.53%, p = 0.0001). Statistical analysis indicated that the direction of association between age and diagnosis of VTE differed for HIV-positive patients versus non-HIV-positive patients. Our results suggest that HIV-positive patients under age 50 are at increased risk for VTE compared with non-HIV-positive individuals.

Yoga is adjunctively utilized outside the United States in the treatment of a variety of diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but there are no studies assessing its adjunctive efficacy in the United States. We prospectively evaluated the effects of yoga training on the quality of life (QOL) and the parameters of lung function in patients with COPD. Thirty-three patients with documented COPD, per Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease criteria, were recruited. All patients received standard COPD care. The QOL was assessed by the St. George Respiratory questionnaire. Standard spirometry and maximum inspiratory (maximal inspiratory pressure) and expiratory pressure (maximal expiratory pressure) were measured. Patients were taught selected yoga exercises including breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga postures for 1 hour, thrice a week for 6 weeks by a certified yoga therapist. The quality of life and lung function were again assessed at the end of 6 weeks. Twenty-two patients completed the study. Differences in preyoga versus postyoga scores were evaluated using paired t-tests. Statistically significant improvements (P < 0.05) were observed for the St. George Respiratory questionnaire [95% confidence interval (CI) 43.13-58.47], vital capacity (95% CI 2.53-7.65), maximal inspiratory pressure (95% CI 6.62-23.64), and maximal expiratory pressure (95% CI 1.63-13.81). Yoga when practiced by patients with COPD results in improvement in the QOL and lung function on a short-term basis. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings in a randomized controlled trial and in the longer term.

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