People With HIV Do Not Appear to Be 'Aging Faster' Than HIV-Negatives

[tednlou2]

Some good news.  I know this is a big question many have.  This isn't a study about looking old prematurely, but disease happening sooner.  Although, disease and cancer certainly can cause someone to look much older.  The vain part of me does wonder whether we look older faster.  I'm not sure a study has been done on that.  I suppose they would have to look at twins, where one is poz and one isn't.

http://www.thebodypro.com/content/77135/people-with-hiv-do-not-appear-to-be-aging-faster-t.html

[tryingtostay]

Didn't read the article but did it say anything about how the low level inflammation effects the organs 'causing them to age faster' ?

[Mishma]

From CROI this year: HIV positives live on the average 13 years less. It is not as if we're aging faster but rather dying sooner.

[CaveyUK]

From CROI this year: HIV positives live on the average 13 years less. It is not as if we're aging faster but rather dying sooner.

Thats a very negative way to think.

There are lots of factors in the life expectancy for people with HIV, just as there are for people without HIV. Some of the things that shorten HIV- folks lives are just amplified a little in people with HIV+

There is no reason why people cannot adhere to drugs, lead a healthy lifestyle and enjoy a normal (or near-normal) lifespan

[Cosmicdancer]

Agreed caveyuk, studies have found that people with HIV who adhere to meds and don't smoke have close to the same life expectancy as hiv negative people.  People with HIV experience homelessness at a rate 3 times higher than HIV negative people.  So there are many factors that impact on health.  There's work to do to close the health care gap for low income people with HIV, and if public policy can move us in that direction you'll continue to see life expectancy rise.

[hiv_rizzy]

From CROI this year: HIV positives live on the average 13 years less. It is not as if we're aging faster but rather dying sooner.

How true is this??? Being a newly discovered hiv person this is not encouraging at all. Where is the source/data to support this statement.

[Jim Allen]

How true is this??? Being a newly discovered hiv person this is not encouraging at all. Where is the source/data to support this statement.

The headline of 13 years is just a headline designed to grab attention and not much more than that. It does not tell the story.

You are young and just starting out treatment and facing HIV in 2016 so i think better more fitting headlines and studies to focus on would be.
 
Life Expectancy for Young People With HIV Is Nearly Normal
https://www.poz.com/article/life-expectancy-24972-2090

START study shows that people starting HIV treatment earlier have better quality of life
http://www.aidsmap.com/START-study-shows-that-people-starting-HIV-treatment-earlier-have-better-quality-of-life/page/3041727/

As for the 13 years well if you want to read it here you can find it.
http://www.aidsmap.com/Life-expectancy-in-HIV-positive-people-in-the-US-still-lags-13-years-behind-HIV-negative-people/page/3040314/

My own personal view on this, or how i digest this 1 study is taking factors into account they could only find found a 5 year difference, and they did not factor in all the risks and reasons, they looked at 1996-97 and 2011.  I don't live in the past things change, i can reduce my risks and who is to say i could be hit by a bus in the morning or perhaps not.  So overall its very interesting but something to read and than move on. 

http://www.aidsmap.com/Life-expectancy-in-HIV-positive-people-in-the-US-still-lags-13-years-behind-HIV-negative-people/page/3040314/

From the article:

The researchers also looked at risk factors for mortality and were able to calculate life expectancy if these were absent. Starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) early, not having hepatitis B or C, and not having a history of drug and alcohol problems all raised life expectancy; but the biggest difference was due to smoking. Nonetheless, even HIV-positive people who had never smoked had a life expectancy over five years lower than HIV-negative people.

In 1996-97 the life expectancy at age 20 of an HIV-positive person was 19 years, in other words they could only expect to live, on average, in the absence of any improvement in treatment, till they were 39. By 2011, this had improved to 53 years, i.e. death on average at 73.

There still remains a gap of 13.1 years between HIV-positive and HIV-negative life expectancy in this study, and this did not improve between 2008 and 2011. The researchers then looked at factors that might narrow this gap. In people who started ART at CD4 counts over 500 cells/mm3, the life expectancy gap between them and HIV-negative people was 7.9 years, i.e. it added 5.2 years to an HIV-positive person’s life expectancy. Not having had hepatitis B or C added 5.9 years; not having had problems with drugs or alcohol added 6.5 years; and not having ever smoked added 7.7 years. This still left a life expectancy gap of 5.4 years, however.

Julia Marcus of Kaiser, presenting, commented: “In addition to timely ART initiation, risk-reduction strategies such as smoking cessation may further narrow the survival gap." She said they would consider looking at other factors that might impact on life expectancy such as depression, which is more common in people with HIV.

She added: “Future studies should determine if this survival gap persists in more recent years, and if so, identify factors that may contribute.”

[CaveyUK]

Working out life expectancy is such an inexact thing. There are so many variables at play.

HIV- people also have reduced life expectancy for a myriad of different reasons. Some medical, some genetic. The old adage of 'why worry - you could get hit by a bus tomorrow' is true... You could worry 24/7 about potentially losing 5 years of your total lifespan by having HIV, and then fall down a hole and die whilst out walking in the country. And if that happens, you would potentially be adding to the 'stats' for reduced life expectancy, even though it was not due to HIV!

On a more serious note - medications and treatments get better all the time. It is likely that advances over the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years will further improve things for folk with HIV so whatever the picture looks like now, is likely to look very different in the future.

[Skydrake]

The headline of 13 years is just a headline designed to grab attention and not much more than that. It does not tell the story.

You are young and just starting out treatment and facing HIV in 2016 so i think better more fitting headlines and studies to focus on would be.
 
Life Expectancy for Young People With HIV Is Nearly Normal
https://www.poz.com/article/life-expectancy-24972-2090

START study shows that people starting HIV treatment earlier have better quality of life
http://www.aidsmap.com/START-study-shows-that-people-starting-HIV-treatment-earlier-have-better-quality-of-life/page/3041727/

As for the 13 years well if you want to read it here you can find it.

You forgot this:

Life expectancy in older people with HIV could EXCEED the average – as long as ART keeps working

http://www.aidsmap.com/Life-expectancy-in-older-people-with-HIV-could-exceed-the-average-as-long-as-ART-keeps-working/page/2551483/#item2551485

[Jim Allen]

You forgot this:

Life expectancy in older people with HIV could EXCEED the average – as long as ART keeps working

http://www.aidsmap.com/Life-expectancy-in-older-people-with-HIV-could-exceed-the-average-as-long-as-ART-keeps-working/page/2551483/#item2551485

:-)

[leatherman]

Being a newly discovered hiv person this is not encouraging at all.

you gotta take this stuff with a grain of salt - along with looking at the big picture.

What science is telling us right now, is that people who have been HIV+ for some time and have been on multiple regimens from the last three decades, while living longer and fuller lives, are still having issues with the organs aging slightly faster by 5-10 years.

what this means for YOU, here in 2016, isn't really much, except this is a story to show you how treatment has improved. People used to die from this but now, with meds (this is important to note,WITH the meds), most of us are living a normal lifespan.

you haven't even started meds, right? so that means you'll start without having aids and on the latest greatest meds. This story means nothing to you because you'll never deal with starting meds late, OIs, or older meds. At best this information should tell you to expect even better for yourself. if treatment can be this improved for people who have been dealing with hiv/aids for 30s, think how much better you're going to have it in the future, starting with 30+ years of improved meds and never the problems you read about in these articles. 

[hiv_rizzy]

you gotta take this stuff with a grain of salt - along with looking at the big picture.

What science is telling us right now, is that people who have been HIV+ for some time and have been on multiple regimens from the last three decades, while living longer and fuller lives, are still having issues with the organs aging slightly faster by 5-10 years.

what this means for YOU, here in 2016, isn't really much, except this is a story to show you how treatment has improved. People used to die from this but now, with meds (this is important to note,WITH the meds), most of us are living a normal lifespan.

you haven't even started meds, right? so that means you'll start without having aids and on the latest greatest meds. This story means nothing to you because you'll never deal with starting meds late, OIs, or older meds. At best this information should tell you to expect even better for yourself. if treatment can be this improved for people who have been dealing with hiv/aids for 30s, think how much better you're going to have it in the future, starting with 30+ years of improved meds and never the problems you read about in these articles. 

Will be starting treatment very soon my friend. Hopefully before this month ends

[leatherman]

Will be starting treatment very soon my friend. Hopefully before this month ends

and after 30 yrs more of treatment improvement (like treatment has evolved in 3 decades for someone like me) we may just find the we have the cure and none of these issues about "aging faster" will ever apply to you. So don't be looking to borrow trouble, as they say. Don't let issues that "might" be possible 30 yrs down the road trouble you now. LOL

[hiv_rizzy]

and after 30 yrs more of treatment improvement (like treatment has evolved in 3 decades for someone like me) we may just find the we have the cure and none of these issues about "aging faster" will ever apply to you. So don't be looking to borrow trouble, as they say. Don't let issues that "might" be possible 30 yrs down the road trouble you now. LOL

I am encouraged by your words

[hants_pos]

BBC have shown 2 part doc on ageing in general (non hiv) population 

The text of the tips is below

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-04-07/how-to-stay-young-become-a-dancing-dog-loving-vegan