WHY IS SMOKING MORE DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV?

People with HIV disease are more likely to smoke than healthy people. Smoking can interfere with normal lung function in healthy people. In people with HIV, smoking can make it more difficult to fight off serious infections.

People are living longer with HIV disease. Smoking and related problems can interfere with long term quality of life.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF SMOKING?
Smoking weakens the immune system. It can make it harder to fight off HIV-related infections. This is especially true for infections related to the lungs. This is a risk for smoking marijuana as well as tobacco. Having HIV increases the risk of chronic lung disease.

Smoking can interfere with processing of medications by the liver. It can also worsen liver problems like hepatitis.

Smoking and Side Effects
People with HIV who smoke are more likely to suffer complications from HIV medication than those who don't.

Smoking increases the risk of some long-term side effects of HIV disease and treatment. These include osteoporosis (weak bones that can lead to fractures). HIV treatment slightly increases the risk of heart attack, but smoking is the major controllable risk factor for heart attacks or strokes.

Smoking and Opportunistic Infections
People with HIV disease who smoke are more likely to develop several opportunistic infections related to HIV. They are more likely to develop:

• thrush
• oral hairy leukoplakia (whitish mouth sores)
• bacterial pneumonia
• pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP)
• For women, smoking can increase the risk and severity of infection with human papilloma virus (HPV). This increases the risk of cervical disease.