Response to highly active antiretroviral therapy in patients 50 years of age or older living with HIV/AIDS infection

For the year 2015 >50 % of the population living with the human immunodeficiency virus infection will he >50 years old, facing it diverse challenges in their attention. In the current study the objective to assess the response to the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), epidemiological and clinical characteristics in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome >50 year sold, was proposed. A descriptive, retrospective, observational, non-experimental, cases and control design study (patients >50 years old, cases; and <50yearsold, controls), comparing their basal, at 6 months and 112 months evaluations, between january 2005 and june 2009, was done. A total 311 patients, 99 cases (>50years old) and212 controls (<50years old) were included. Females represented a third of the population. More than 65 % of the patients consulted in advanced stages of diseases, 47 % corresponded with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome stage C3. Mean time between diagnosis and beginning of highly active antiretroviral therapy was >1 year, in both groups. Most used highly active antiretroviral therapy schemes were AZT/3TC/EFV andAZT/3TC+LOP/RIT. No significant differences between immunological and virological response to highly active antiretroviral therapy at 6 and 12 months between both groups were found; mean values of viral load at 6 months: 5,821.08 RNA copies/nun3 (2.21 log)and 6,081.92 RNA copies/mm3 (2.28 log )for mayor adults and young patients, respectively. In mayor adults, increase in mean values ofT CD4+ lymphocyte counts post- highly active antiretroviral therapy were significant (P<0.05) when compared basal with 12 months moments. In young patients that significant change was reached at 6 months. More than 85 % of the patients had undetectable viral at 12 months. In patients >50 years old a good immunological and virological response was observed, being similar to that seen in young patients, at 6 and 12 months of highly active antiretroviral therapy. These results suggest the importance of the study of treatment responses in mayor adults, highlighting the needs of its early diagnosis and highly active antiretroviral therapy beginning.