IMPACT OF HIV-INFECTION AND AIDS ON DEATH RATES IN BRITISH-COLUMBIA AND CANADA

Objective: To assess the impact of HIV infection and AIDS on death rates in British Columbia and Canada. Design: Descriptive, population-based study. Setting: British Columbia and Canada. Patients: All people for whom HIV infection or AIDS was listed as the underlying cause of death in Canada and all provinces from 1987 to 1991, as reported to Statistics Canada, and all people for whom HIV infection or AIDS was listed as the underlying or antecedent cause of death in British Columbia and Vancouver from 1987 to 1992, as reported to the Division of Vital Statistics, British Columbia Ministry of Health. Main outcome measures: Age- and cause-specific patterns of death, and potential years of life lost (PYLLs) for men. Results: From 1987 to 1991 a total of 4189 deaths from HIV infection and AIDS (in 3941 males and 248 females) in Canada and 686 such deaths (in 671 males and 15 females) in British Columbia were reported to Statistics Canada. The rate of death from HIV infection and AIDS was 1.39 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29 to 1.50) in British Columbia than in Canada as a whole and 1.95 times higher (95% CI 1.65 to 2.29) when HIV infection was associated with specified malignant neoplasms than with other related causes. The PYLLs from HIV infection and AIDS for men rose steadily in Canada, from 17615 in 1987 to 38735 in 1991; the latter is comparable to the PYLLs from stroke and colorectal cancer. In Vancouver the PYLLs from HIV infection and AIDS for men increased sharply from 1987 to 1992, surpassing the PYLLs from heart disease, malignant neoplasms and accidents. Conclusions: From 1987 to 1991 the rate of death from HIV infection and AIDS in British Columbia was higher than the national average. In Vancouver HIV infection and AIDS have become the leading causes of premature death in men, exceeding heart disease, malignant neoplasms and accidents.