Frailty in older adults (≥50 years) living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Abstract

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased the life expectancy of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Fifty percent of PLWHA are ≥ 50 years of age, and age-related comorbidities are an increasing concern. The prevalence of frailty in HIV is greater than in age-matched controls. We investigated a cohort of older (≥ 50 years) PLWHA at the Southern Alberta Clinic (SAC) in Calgary, Alberta, and screened for frailty. Patients were screened using three frailty measures: a Modified Frailty Phenotype, Clinical Frailty Scale and the Frailty Index. Patients identified as frail were offered a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment performed by a Geriatrician and the results were shared with the HIV provider and the family physician. Over three hundred patients were screened using the MFP and CFS, and over 700 patients had a FI calculated. Frailty was associated with duration of ART, but not with known duration of HIV infection, CD4 cell count, viral load, or age.