Increasing proportions of older adults are living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is estimated that more than 50% of individuals with HIV in the United States are aged 50 and older. Part of this group consists of individuals who have aged with chronic HIV infection, but a large proportion also results from new HIV diagnosis, with approximately 17% of new HIV diagnoses in 2013 occurring in individuals aged 50 and older. Although many of the recommendations on management of HIV infection are not age-specific, individuals with HIV aged 50 and older differ from their younger counterparts in many aspects, including immune response to antiretroviral therapy, multimorbidity, antiretroviral toxicities, and diagnostic considerations. This article outline these differences, offers a strategy on how to care for this unique population, and provides special considerations for problem-based management of individuals with HIV aged 50 and older.
Keywords: HIV; aging; multimorbidity.
© 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.