CTN 272: Canadian HIV and Aging cohort

About the Study

This study will investigate accelerated aging in people living with HIV, looking in particular at cardiovascular disease (CVD). Researchers will also develop tools for analyzing chemical signals in the blood that may help further understanding of many aging related health issues like heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, memory loss, and brittle bones. The researchers will look for factors that impact on longevity including: the age of the person when infection occurred, the CD4 cell count, the time spent with CD4 count of greater than 500 cells/mm3 and other variables. The study is a large controlled cohort looking to enroll 2000 participants (half with HIV and half without). Participants will be followed for five years and will be invited to participate in the main cohort as well as any or all of the four pre-planned sub-studies. The sub studies are looking at plaque build up in the arteries, abnormalities in blood glucose levels as an indicator of disease, immune system reaction to CVD, and genetic testing.

Background

In Canada by 2015, it is estimated that 50% of people living with HIV will be 50 years or older. Study researchers note that some age-related diseases appear to be overrepresented in the population of people living with HIV, appearing approximately 5 to 10 years earlier than in the general population. Not all people living with HIV show signs of accelerated aging and the aging process is complex and not completely understood. The study researchers speculate that the chronic and persistent inflammation associated with HIV, leads to accelerated aging, characterized in part by premature CVD. Following participants for five years will provide insight into higher incidence rates of CVD and accelerated aging in people living with HIV.

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