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Updated: Sep 29, 2025
05:53
Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
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Correlation Between Polypharmacy and Frailty Among Thai Older Persons Living with HIV
Aroonsiri Sangarlangkarn1, Tanakorn Apornpong2, Jennifer Woodard3
1Section of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses
|March 24, 2022
Summary
In Thai adults, taking more non-antiretroviral medications increases the likelihood of frailty in people living with HIV (PLWH). This association was stronger in PLWH compared to those without HIV.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Polypharmacy and frailty are significant concerns for aging populations, particularly Persons Living with HIV (PLWH).
- While correlated in the US, the association between polypharmacy and frailty in resource-limited settings remains understudied.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for managing health in aging PLWH.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the correlation between polypharmacy and frailty among Thai PLWH and uninfected individuals aged 50 and above.
- To investigate if the number of non-antiretroviral therapy (ART) medications is associated with frailty in this population.
- To compare the association in PLWH versus those without HIV in a resource-limited context.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 324 virally suppressed Thai PLWH and 132 uninfected controls (aged ≥50).
- Data collected between March 2016 and April 2017.
- Primary predictor: patient-reported non-ART medications. Outcome: presence of frailty domains (Fried frailty phenotype).
Main Results:
- Frailty was uncommon (8.6% PLWH, 3.8% uninfected).
- Each additional non-ART medication correlated with a 6% increased likelihood of an additional frailty domain among PLWH (p=0.04).
- This association was not statistically significant among uninfected participants.
Conclusions:
- The association between polypharmacy and frailty is more pronounced in Thai PLWH than in their uninfected counterparts.
- Findings suggest a potential increased vulnerability to frailty with polypharmacy in PLWH in resource-limited settings.
- Further research is warranted to confirm these findings in other settings and explore deprescribing strategies.
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