4.3: HIV and Aging

Due to the success of modern ART and an increase in the average age of new HIV diagnoses, the population of Canadians living with HIV is aging. Over 50% of Canadians living with HIV are now over the age of 50.¹ In 2017, 23% of new HIV diagnoses in Canada were in people aged 50 years or older.² People aging with HIV are living with age-related chronic health conditions (e.g., metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease), syndromes of aging (e.g., dementia and frailty) and side effects related to ART.³ In addition, non-ART polypharmacy is common among people aging with HIV and is associated with increasing risk of hospitalization and mortality.³ Disability issues experienced by those aging with HIV also include: uncertainty and worry about aging with a complex chronic disease, mental health challenges, pain, and stigma.⁴ Therefore, rehabilitation goals that are client-centered and that positively influence physical health and social participation may provide the most meaningful outcomes.⁵

Evidence-informed resources that address strategies for rehabilitation in those aging with HIV can be found at these links:

Evidence-informed resources that address strategies for rehabilitation in those aging with HIV can be found at these links:

• Siegler EL. Recognizing and Addressing Effects of Aging in Older Patients With HIV Clinical Guidelines Program.
• ClinicalInfo.HIV.GOV. HIV and the Older Person.
• American Academy of HIV Medicine, American Geriatrics Society, AIDS Community Research Initiative of America. Recommended Treatment Strategies for Clinicians Managing Older Patients with HIV
• National Resource Center on HIV & Aging (USA). National Resource Center on HIV & Aging.
• Montoya JL, Jankowski CM, O’Brien KK, Webel AR, Oursler KK, Henry BL, Moore DJ, Erlandson KM. Evidence-informed practical recommendations for increasing physical activity among persons living with HIV. AIDS. 2019 May 1;33(6):931-939. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000002137. PMID: 30946147
• Kietrys D, Myezwa H, Galantino ML, Parrott JS, Davis T, Levin T, O’Brien K, Hanass-Hancock J. Functional Limitations and Disability in Persons Living with HIV in South Africa and United States: Similarities and Differences. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care. 2019 Jan-Dec;18:2325958219850558. doi: 10.1177/2325958219850558. PMID: 31109225