Health : BIG IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE EXPECTANCY OF OLDER PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV
This article previously appeared in HIV Update, a publication of aidsmap, here.
Several studies have shown that, thanks to modern HIV treatment, the life expectancy of many people living with HIV in richer countries is now close to normal. But this primarily applies to people who are diagnosed and begin HIV treatment with a relatively high CD4 cell count, before significant damage has been done to their immune system.
What about the life expectancy of older people living with HIV? In some countries, up to half of people living with HIV are over 50. Diseases of ageing (such as cancers and heart disease) are an important cause of health problems in people with HIV and these diseases may develop at a younger age in people who have HIV.
Researchers have taken a closer look at the situation for people over the age of 50 living with HIV in Denmark. They have examined how the situation has changed over the last twenty years.
In the late 1990s, soon after the introduction of combination therapy, a 50 year old could expect to live to the age of 62.
Improvements in HIV treatment and care have added an extra decade to this life expectancy. Now a 50 year old can expect to live to 73.
This is a big improvement, but people living with HIV still have poorer outcomes than those in the general population – a 50 year old without HIV can expect to live to 80.
The researchers also looked at a subgroup of people living with HIV who were doing well on HIV treatment and didn’t have any significant health problems when they entered the study. They found that a 50 year old with these characteristics could expect to live to 76, compared to 84 in the general population.
Some of the differences with the general population may be due to HIV-related health problems, but it’s also possible that lifestyle factors play a part too. In other words, Danish people living with HIV may – on average – be more likely to have smoked, drunk heavily or have a poor diet than other Danes. The researchers weren’t able to make statistical adjustment for these kind of factors.
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Hiv is not one size fits all. These studies are meaningless. It is like saying people with cancer live 10 years shorter than the average person. Well what kind of cancer, what stage was it detected, what treatment did they receive? Same with HIV. If you are a long-term survivor the years of uncontrolled viremia has done a lot of damage already. If you waited until your cd4 fell below 200 to start cART you will also statistically have a greater risk of co-morbidities. If you caught it early with cd4 above 500 and only a few years or less between sero conversion and viral suppression and otherwise lead a healthy lifestyle, then there is no statistical impact to life expectancy regardless of age, be it 18 or 65.
Really Scott? The study is not meaningless…it gives people hope, and feel possibly for a minute they don’t have a death sentence …. Of course there are many variables that determine how long someone will live…including keeping a positive attitude … Maybe if you get one you will live a few extra days!
Best policy: AVOID HIV COMPLETELY. I’ve seen too many guys come down with tumors and other cancers very early in their lives after going on tricyclics in cART, whether or not they were detected early. It’s NOT just “take a pill.” You have options…stay away from the bug, or deal with all this crap. I happily choose the former.
Thanks for the information on how long I going to live. Only one person knows when I will die………
This thing needs an edit button after you submit a comment.
I’m a 61 y.o male w/hivAIDS & completely disagree w/above. Sounds like you’ve got some advanced education specifically in medical field, course I could b wrong. I’m living proof of otherwise w 31 yes nxt mo., but who’s counting.
I’m amused with my wellloved brothers & sisters, its those endorphins. Livewell & prosper. !
LLiving well is the best revenge.
In 2015 anybody who feels HIV is a death sentence is ill informed. Well controlled HIV by itself is a fairly benign chronic illness. Today a person who catchs a new infection early, starts and stays compliant on cART, leads a healthy lifestyle will see Zero impact to quality or length of life. It takes advantage of poor lifestyle choices to make people sick. Smoking, Tina, poor diet, lack of exercise, stress.
Mistr Fistr there was a recent study that showed about 50% of new infections were from condom failures, so people are actually trying to avoid it. It is stigmatizing to poz folks to blame them for their illness.
Buzzy, it is great that you have survived! Statistically you are very fortunate as we know most people did not survive unscathed.
Like it or not HIV is no longer one size fits all. Outcomes are largely controlled by the patients actions and attitudes.
And frankly their are many, many more chronic illnesses and disease that are much worse than HIV. Public health may not approve of this statement, but I feel early detected and controlled HIV is no big deal.
It’s people’s unfounded fear of a life with HIV that gets them in trouble.
Back to the cancer analogy, if you catch most cancers in stage 1, prognosis is good, stage 4 and it’s not. It’s like the guy who knows something is wrong, has symptoms and refuses to go to the doctor until he can’t ignore it anymore and is diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Sorry too late, if he came in at the first sign of symptoms, stage 1 or 2, no big deal, statistically the outcome would b very favorable.
Point is HIV is a virus that we know how to treat, quit freaking out and making it this big life destroying horrible inescapable slide to a painful shameful death. It’s not!
@Buzzy: Disagree all you want with Scott’s very apt dissertation, but he’s right, YOU’RE wrong. For every one patient like you, there are probably 10-15 others who aren’t so lucky. Just realize that yours is a relatively rare outcome indeed, leave it at that, and enjoy yourself without putting others in peril.
FYI: Per Gllead’s own stats, the average life expectancy of an HIV patient after diagnosis and starting cART: 24.3 years, regardless of age. Food for thought.
Scott, You are highly misinformed. If you think that starting a toxic cocktail of drugs at the age of 18 will have ZERO effect on longevity or life you are truly living with a set of blinders on ignoring all evidence based science. Anyone on any long term drugs will have ill effects on their kidneys, liver, brain, lungs, heart, and all vital organs to life, needless to mention the lifestyle changes it will cause. Sex will now need to be safe, and many people will look at you as diseased, and the bigoted Fags are right at the top of the list of looking at those with HIV as inferior people. Then you will have to live a lifestyle that allows you to take your drugs, visit doctors regular, and even with all that said, there is no long term studies as of yet to show just exactly how long we can sustain this toxic medicine. Approximately 750,000 United States Citizens have already died from AIDS, and I think that statistic is extremely low because in the first 7 years of AIDS, many people died that were never diagnosed properly. The stigma, the hate, the side effects of the meds, and long term survival will depend largely on the individual. I have been positive since 1983, more then half my life… Even those diagnosed today, while they have much better chance at longevity… Their lives will not go unimpaired as you suggest. I have had my CD4 count go from below 100 to over 900 more then once… Much of it will depend on the individual determination to build and rebuild. But to call an article like this “Meaningless” is callous and careless to those of us that find great meaning in it, and especially to those who are newly infected looking for evidence of hope. While I agree, there are far too many factors to include to give an absolute definitive to longevity factors in HIV, it does help to point one in the right direction.
Terry got this right; antivirals ARE toxic by nature. I know; I got the retrovirus “consolation prize,” HCV, and killed that off with 12 weeks of Sovaldi and the nefarious ribavirin. That crap aged me 5 years if a day, just in three months. BEST POLICY: AVOID INFECTION AT ALL COSTS…a life with antivirals isn’t worth busting your nut by getting your ass worked, trust me.
Terry,
Which drugs specifically are you referring to?
Team truvada has kidney and bone density problems in a small minority of patients. Truvada is made up of TDF and FTC, and is the most commonly prescribed nuke backbone as well as the drugs in PrEP. TDF has been reformulated into TAF significantly reducing the amount of the drug required to b effect and has greatly decreased side effects. Team Epzicom, the other nuke backbone has potential heart and allergy problems, but there are test to determine who is susceptible. The third drug in the cocktail is quickly moving to the intergrase inhibitors which are very effective with few if any side effects.
So again in 2015,the drugs used are not highly toxic life destroying chemo drugs. Sorry if this doesn’t fit your narrative but in most cases the drugs are very welcome tolerated, highly effective and no side effects.
MistrFistr,
Believe how you wish. Thanks to you others
With your “attaboys”! Will to live is a lot of
my success. 5 yrs of AZT got me there.
Pooh pooh to ActUp!!! And the discussion
continues ..
I appreciate the knowledge and thoughts of all of you; however, there is no one fits all when you can’t even add 1 variable to each significant study. 26, undetectable. I just pray that I see my grandkids grow up. Be blessed, always take charge of the situation and never let the situation have control of you. With that mindset, one can overcome anything!!!