Aging well with HIV

More than half of our patients at Trillium are over 50, which means many of the people we’ve cared for over the years are telling us about age-related ailments. People living with HIV (PLHIV)  may compare what they are going through to experiences of friends who are HIV-negative and wondering what is normal at this stage of life and if they need any special attention or precautions.

A 70-year-old who is HIV-positive will live about as long as a 70-year-old who is HIV-negative. But decades of taking medication to control HIV can speed up aspects of the aging process and PLHIV may experience some symptoms a few years before their friends.

Regular, thorough physical exams are important as we get older, regardless of HIV status. If you are HIV-positive, you’re not more or less likely to have high blood pressure or cholesterol than a friend who is HIV-negative. But make sure you to stay on top of taking your blood pressure or cholesterol medicine in addition to your HIV meds.  

If you are HIV-positive, you still can be a candidate for joint replacements, or even kidney transplants, just like your friends who are HIV-negative. There was a time when joint replacements and transplants for people with HIV weren’t done because their lifespan was so short. Today, if you are a PLHIV and in good overall health, joint replacements and transplants can be done.

Regardless of other health issues, older PLHIV need to continue to monitor their HIV treatment. New drugs or different formulations of existing drugs come on the market that may or may not be suitable for you. HIV requires specialty care, but you may not be able to get to a doctor who provides this kind of care. If you have a primary care doctor or geriatrician, advocate for yourself to make sure your HIV treatment is part of an overall plan to keep you healthy and enjoying life.

You can find more on HIV and older adults, at www.nia.nih.gov/health/hiv-aids-and-older-adults