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Numerous studies presented at the
19th International AIDS Conference (IAC) show that as people live longer with
AIDS, they may confront other health challenges, such as premature aging and an
increased risk of heart disease. Also, older people are being newly diagnosed,
a trend US health officials say is small but slowly growing.
One-third of the nearly 1.2 million
people living with HIV in the US are over 50, and by 2020 half will be, said
Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral
Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. People 50 or older accounted for 17 percent
of new HIV diagnoses in 2009, up from 13 percent in 2001, according to CDC
data.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that people who are
currently diagnosed and treated early can expect a near-normal life span.
However, studies suggest that people with HIV/AIDS may be at higher risk for
the chronic illnesses of aging, or may experience them earlier.
For example, scientists at
Massachusetts General Hospital found evidence linking HIV and higher risk of
heart disease due to artery inflammation - increasing the risk for blood clots
that trigger heart attacks, even when the virus was well-controlled and patients
were not very old.
Fenton explained: HIV triggers
body-wide inflammation to help fight the virus, a process that persists and can
quietly damage organs even with good medication. Dr. Amy Justice of Yale
University pointed to data from a Veterans Affairs study that showed older
people with HIV use more medications for other diseases than their counterparts
without HIV.
At the IAC, some older people living
with HIV participated in a web-based project called “The Graying of AIDS” to
share their knowledge and stories.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
