Geriatric-HIV medicine: A science in its infancy

Current Considerations for Clinical Management and Care of People with HIV: Findings from the 11th Annual International HIV and Aging Workshop

The number of people with HIV (PWH) aged 50 years or older continues to steadily increase. The convergence of age- and HIV-related complications in these individuals presents a challenge for both patients and clinicians alike. New findings continue to emerge, as numerous researchers evaluate the combined impact of these two factors on quality of life, physiological systems, and mental health in PWH. Since its first occurrence in 2009, the International Workshop on HIV and Aging has served as a multidisciplinary meeting to share basic biomedical data, clinical trial results, treatment strategies, and epidemiological recommendations, toward better understanding and outcomes among like-minded scientific professionals. In this article, we share a selection of key findings presented in plenary talks at the 11th Annual International Workshop on HIV and Aging, held virtually from September 30, 2020 to October 2, 2020. We will also address the future directions of HIV and aging research, to further assess how the aging process intersects with chronic HIV.

A Prognostic Model to Assess Long-Term Survival of Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy: A 15-Year Retrospective Cohort Study in Southwestern China

BACKGROUND

Because there is no assessment tool for survival of people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) who received antiretroviral therapy (ART) in rural southwestern China, we aimed to formulate and validate a simple-to-use model to predict long-term overall survival at the initiation of ART.

METHODS

In total, 36 268 eligible participants registered in the Guangxi autonomous region between December 2003 and December 2018 were enrolled and randomized into development and validation cohorts. Predictive variables were determined based on Cox hazard models and specialists' advice. Discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility were measured, respectively.

RESULTS

The prognostic combined 14 variables: sex, age, marital status, infectious route, opportunistic infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related symptoms, body mass index, CD4+ T lymphocyte count, white blood cell, platelet, hemoglobin, serum creatinine, aspartate transaminase, and total bilirubin. Age, aspartate transaminase, and serum creatinine were assigned higher risk scores than that of CD4+ T lymphocytopenia count and having opportunistic infections or AIDS-related symptoms. At 3 time points (1, 3, and 5 years), the area under the curve ranged from 0.75 to 0.81 and the Brier scores ranged from 0.03 to 0.07. The decision curve analysis showed an acceptable clinical net benefit.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognostic model incorporating routine baseline data can provide a useful tool for early risk appraisal and treatment management in ART in rural southwestern China. Moreover, our study underscores the role of non-AIDS-defining events in long-term survival in ART.

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in Older Persons With HIV

With increased longevity related to the advent of antiretroviral therapy, there are increasing proportions of older persons with HIV (PWH). Prior studies have demonstrated increased prevalence of geriatric syndromes in older PWH and recommended the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) in this population. However, there is currently no peer-reviewed literature that outlines how to perform the CGA in PWH in the clinical setting. In this article, we offer a review on how to perform the CGA in PWH, outline domains of the CGA and their importance in PWH, and describe screening tools for each domain focusing on tools that have been validated in PWH, are easy to administer, and/or are already commonly used in the field of geriatrics.

Does Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Increase Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery Perioperative Complication Risk? A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To determine if women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery (PRS) have an increased risk of perioperative and postoperative complications compared with HIV-negative controls.

STUDY DESIGN

Multicenter, retrospective matched cohort study of patients with and without HIV infection who underwent PRS between 2006 and 2016. Cases were identified using International Classification of Disease, 9th edition Clinical Modification and 10th edition Clinical Modification and current procedural terminology (CPT) codes encompassing HIV diagnoses and pelvic reconstructive surgeries. Controls were identified as patients without HIV who underwent similar procedures, performed by the same surgeon during the same 1-year period as surgeries performed on patients with HIV. Cases were matched to controls at a ratio of 1:3. The primary outcome was composite complication rate within 1 year of surgery.

RESULTS

Sixty-three patients with HIV and 187 controls were identified. There was no difference in the composite complication rate between women with HIV and HIV-negative women (36.5% vs 30.0%, P = 0.15) over 1 year. However, 19.1% of patients with HIV compared with 5.4% controls had Clavien Dindo Grade I complications (P = 0.002), and 11.1% of HIV patients had urinary retention within 6 weeks of surgery compared with 3.2% of controls (P = 0.02). After multivariable logistic regression used to adjust for confounders, living with HIV was not associated with an increased risk of complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients living with HIV are not at an increased risk of complications within 1 year of PRS compared with patients without HIV.

Hemostasis in elderly patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection-Cross-sectional study

Introduction: Aging and chronic HIV infection are clinical conditions that share the states of inflammation and hypercoagulability. The life expectancy of the world population has increased in the last decades, bringing as complications the occurrence of diseases that undergoing metabolic, bone, cardiological, vascular and neurological alterations. HIV-infected patients experience these changes early and are living longer due to the success of antiretroviral therapy. The objectives of this study was to evaluate some changes in the plasma hemostatic profile of 115 HIV-reactive elderly individuals over 60 years old in the chronic phase of infection, and compare with 88 healthy uninfected elderly individuals. Plasma determinations of D-dimers, Fibrinogen, von Willebrand Factor, Antithrombin, Prothrombin Time, Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time, and platelet count were performed. In the HIV-reactive group, these variables were analyzed according to viral load, protease inhibitor use and CD4⁺ T lymphocyte values. After adjusted values for age and sex, the results showed higher levels of Antithrombin (103%; 88%, p = 0.0001) and Prothrombin Time activities (92.4%; 88.2%, p = 0.019) in the HIV group compared to the control group. We observed higher values of Fibrinogen in protease inhibitor users in both the male (p = 0.043) and female (p = 0.004) groups, and in the female HIV group with detected viral load (p = 0.015). The male HIV group with a CD4⁺ count> 400 cells / mm³ presented higher von Willebrand Factor values (p = 0.036). D-Dimers had higher values in the older age groups (p = 0.003; p = 0.042, respectively). Conclusion: Our results suggest that the elderly with chronic HIV infection with few comorbidities had a better hemostatic profile than negative control group, reflecting the success of treatment. Protease inhibitor use and age punctually altered this profile.

The Golden Compass Program: Overview of the Initial Implementation of a Comprehensive Program for Older Adults Living with HIV

The population with HIV is aging and has unique health needs. We present findings from an evaluation of the geriatric-HIV program, Golden Compass, at San Francisco General Hospital. We used the implementation science framework, RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) to guide the evaluation and used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess RE-AIM dimensions. From January 2017 to June 2018, 198 adults age ≥50 years participated in the program, with an estimated reach of 17%. Providers and patients indicated high acceptability of the program and were satisfied with clinics and classes. Colocation of services, specific pharmacy and geriatric assessments, and social support from classes were valued (effectiveness). Provider adoption was high, and the program was implemented as originally designed. Areas for improvement included challenges of framing aging services to patients. Future efforts will focus on expanding the reach of the program and examining long-term outcomes.

Geriatric Syndromes in People Living with HIV Associated with Ageing and Increasing Comorbidities: Implications for Neurocognitive Complications of HIV Infection

Long-term survival of treated people living with HIV (PLWH) currently approaches that of the general population. The average age of PLWH is currently in the mid-50s in resource-rich countries and is predicted that over 40% of PLWH will be older than 60 within a decade. Similar trends have been confirmed in all communities of PLWH with access to antiretroviral therapies. However, the positive impact on survival has been challenged by several developments. Ageing PLWH have clinical features similar to the general population about 5-10 years older. In addition to the earlier occurrence of common age-related conditions common geriatric syndromes have also impacted this population prematurely. These are often difficult to evaluate and manage conditions usually of multifactorial aetiology. They include polypharmacy, frailty, impaired mobility and falls, sarcopenia, sensory impairment, and increasingly, non-dementing cognitive decline. Cognitive decline is of particular concern to PLWH and their care providers. In the general geriatric population cognitive impairment increases with age and occurs in all populations with a prevalence of over 25% in people over 80. Effective treatments are lacking and therefore minimizing risk factors plays an important role in maintaining healthspan. In the general population geriatric syndromes may increase the risk of cognitive decline. The corollary is that decreasing the risk of their development may limit cognitive impairment. Whether a similar status holds in PLWH is uncertain. This chapter will address the question of whether common geriatric syndromes in PLWH contribute to cognitive impairment. Common risk factors may provide clues to limit or delay cognitive decline.