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Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
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

Clinical presentation of HIV infection in patients aged 50 years or older

J Ena1, V Valls, J López Aldeguer

  • 1Internal Medicine Division of Hospital Marina Baixa, Villajoyosa, Alicante, Spain.

The Journal of Infection
|January 19, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Older patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection present with lower CD4 counts and more advanced disease at diagnosis. Early detection strategies are crucial for this aging population.

Area of Science:

  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection impacts diverse age groups.
  • Aging populations present unique challenges in managing chronic infections like HIV.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the clinical presentation of HIV disease in patients aged 50 years and older.
  • To compare the disease progression and diagnostic indicators between older and younger HIV-infected individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for 100 HIV-positive patients aged 50+ and 197 controls aged 15-40.
  • Data collected from six institutions in Valencia, Spain, between 1989 and 1996.

Main Results:

  • Older HIV patients were predominantly male, with men who have sex with men being a significant exposure category.
  • Older patients exhibited significantly lower CD4 cell counts (163 vs. 450 cells/mm3) and a higher rate of AIDS diagnosis at initial evaluation (49% vs. 29%).
  • The types and frequencies of AIDS-defining illnesses were similar between older and younger patients diagnosed with AIDS at their first evaluation.

Conclusions:

  • HIV infection in older adults is often diagnosed at later stages of disease progression.
  • Urgent need for studies focusing on early detection of HIV in individuals aged 50 and above.
  • Improved healthcare strategies are required to address the specific needs of the aging HIV-positive population.
Abstract

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