Studies show that HIV treatment works well for older people. Viral load drops to an undetectable level (the aim of treatment) just as quickly as it does in younger people. Older people are often better than younger people at taking their medication as prescribed.
On the other hand, people who start treatment over the age of 50 may have a slower and less complete restoration of their immune system. The CD4 cell count doesn’t always rise as quickly as it does in younger adults.
As well as preventing HIV-related illnesses, effective HIV treatment helps protect against heart disease, cancer, kidney and liver disease. Among people living with HIV, rates of these conditions are lower in people who take HIV treatment than in people who do not.
If you have other health concerns as well as HIV, this can affect the choices you and your doctor make about which HIV drug combination is right for you.
Winnie Ssanyu Sseruma talks about ageing with HIV.
For these reasons, your choice of anti-HIV drugs may need to be tailored to your specific situation. You may need a different dose of one of your medicines. This may mean that a single tablet, which contains several drugs in fixed quantities, might not always be the right choice for you. You might need to switch from a drug combination that you have got used to.
Watch our aidsmapLIVE on HIV and ageing.
In the UK, standards for HIV treatment and care are set by the British HIV Association, the professional association for HIV doctors. Their guidelines recommend that doctors exercise caution in prescribing the following anti-HIV drugs to people who have specific health conditions or have risk factors for that condition.
