At the Intersection: Healthy Aging with HIV Comorbidities

Over the past decade, there have been significant advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Highly active antiretroviral therapy has led to improved survival rates for people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs). As people living with HIV age, the numbers of older adults living with HIV will continue to grow. The challenge we now face is to respond to the health and care needs of this growing population. As HIV shifts from a terminal condition to one more often viewed as chronic, manageable, and episodic, those living with HIV face a variety of new experiences and challenges as they age. There is mounting evidence of increased risk of a wide range of comorbidities and co-infections for people living with HIV compared to their those without HIV. The overall purpose of the Healthy Aging with HIV Comorbidities Team is to advance collaborative, interdisciplinary research on aging and HIV that addresses the comorbidities, health-related outcomes, and health service needs of the population aging with HIV, ultimately leading to new ideas and strategies to improve the lives of those living and aging with HIV/AIDS. The Team brings an assets-based perspective to the study of HIV comorbidities to address healthy aging with HIV among diverse populations, drawing on knowledge about trajectories of aging in the general population. In addition to the involvement of clinicians, service providers, PHAs and members of community-based service organizations, and AIDS service organizations, we have the joint involvement of academic researchers with expertise in aging - typically found in such fields as gerontology, sociology, and geriatric medicine - with those who specialize in HIV/AIDS research and knowledge of specific characteristics, experiences and needs for people with HIV. The Team is guided by the principles of Community Based Research and the tenets of Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS (MIPA).