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You are here : Home  AIDS Factsheet Patient Populations Older People And HIVOlder People and HIV
WHY ARE OLDER PEOPLE GETTING INFECTED? Background Information -What is AIDS? -HIV Testing -Acute HIV Infection -How HIV Drugs Get Approved -HIV Life Cycle Laboratory Tests -Normal Laboratory Values -Complete Blood Count (CBC) -Chemistry Panel -Blood Sugar and Fats -CD4 (T-cell) Tests -Viral Load Tests -HIV Resistance Testing -Monitoring Drug Levels Preventing HIV Infection -Stopping the Spread of HIV -How Risky Is It? -Condoms -Drug Use and HIV -Harm Reduction and HIV -Treatment After Microbicides -Microbicides Living with HIV -Choosing an HIV Care Provider -Medical Appointments -Telling Others You are HIV Positive -Participating in a Clinical Trial -How to Spot HIV/AIDS Fraud -Vaccinations and HIV -Medications to Fight HIV -HIV Life Cycle -Taking Current Antiretroviral Drugs -What Is Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)? -Adherence -Treatment Interruptions -Drug Interactions -Strengthening the Immune System -Immune Therapies in Development -Immune Restoration -Interleukin-2 -Immune Restoration Syndrome -Opportunistic Infections -Opportunistic Infections Side Effects and Their Treatments -Side Effects -Fatigue -Anemia -Body Shape Changes (Lipodystrophy) -Diarrhea -Peripheral Neuropathy -Mitochondrial Toxicity -Bone Problems -Depression and HIV Patient Populations -Women and HIV -Pregnancy and HIV aids -Children and HIV -Older People and HIV Alternative and Complementary Therapies -Alternative and Complementary Therapies -Ayurvedic Medicine -Chinese Acupuncture -Chinese Herbalism -Cat's Claw -DHEA -DNCB (Dinitrochlorobenzene) -Echinacea -Essiac -Marijuana -Silymarin (Milk Thistle) -Nutrition -Nutrition -Vitamins and Minerals -Exercise and HIV -Smoking and HIV There are several reasons:
IS HIV DISEASE DIFFERENT FOR OLDER PEOPLE? The first studies of HIV in older people were done before strong anti-HIV drugs were available. Most of them showed that older people got sicker and died faster than younger people. This was thought to be due to the weaker immune systems of older people. Also, older people usually have more health problems besides HIV. Normal aging leads to a decline in the immune system. Older people still tend to have long-term health problems. They may not do as well as younger patients with HIV. However, anti-HIV medications strengthen the immune system. Also, most older patients, unless they are drug users or have mental problems, take their medications more regularly (have better adherence) than younger patients. IS HIV THE SAME IN OLDER PEOPLE? HIV medications seem to work the same in older people as in younger people. Unfortunately, we don’t have good information on older people because they were usually not included in clinical trials of new drugs. People who become infected when they are over 50 seem to do about as well as people who started receiving HIV treatment before age 50 and then got older. Treatment side effects may not be any more frequent in older people. However, changes caused by aging can resemble or worsen treatment side effects. For example, older age is a major risk factor for heart disease and for increasing fat in the abdomen. Some older people without HIV lose fat that looks similar to the changes caused by lipodystrophy. WHAT OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE COMMON? As people age, they develop health issues that continue for the rest of their lives. These can include heart disease, depression, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and various forms of cancer. Older people often take many different medications to deal with their health problems. This can make it more difficult for a doctor to choose anti-HIV drugs because of interactions with other medications. Some HIV medications may increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, or osteoporosis. This makes it harder to choose the right HIV regimen. MENTAL PROBLEMS Older people may have more problems with thinking and remembering than younger people. These symptoms can be the same as HIV-related mental problems. These problems, sometimes called dementia, are less severe than they were before the use of strong anti-HIV drugs. It is difficult to know what is causing mental problems in older people with HIV. Is it normal aging, or is it HIV disease? Research studies have linked both age and higher viral load to mental problems. Rates of depression and substance use haven’t been well studied in older people. However, these problems may be related to HIV disease, aging, or both. They need to be diagnosed and treated correctly. THE BOTTOM LINE The number of people over 50 with HIV or AIDS is growing rapidly. Between 10% and 15% of people with AIDS in the United States are over age 50. Older people get HIV the same way as younger people. However, they may not be aware that they are at risk of HIV infection. They also may not know how to protect themselves from HIV transmission. Older people have to deal with other health issues. These can complicate the selection of anti-HIV medications. They can also be confused with some of the side effects of HIV drugs. HIV drugs work about as well in older people. Also, older people may be better about taking their medications than younger people. You are here : Home AIDS Factsheet Patient Populations Older People And HIV |
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