Age in antiretroviral therapy programmes in South Africa: a retrospective, multicentre, observational cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

As access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) expands, increasing numbers of older patients will start treatment and need specialised long-term care. However, the effect of age in ART programmes in resource-constrained settings is poorly understood. The HIV epidemic is ageing rapidly and South Africa has one of the highest HIV population prevalences worldwide. We explored the effect of age on mortality of patients on ART in South Africa and whether this effect is mediated by baseline immunological status.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort analysis, we studied HIV-positive patients aged 16-80 years who started ART for the first time in six large South African cohorts of the International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS-Southern Africa collaboration, in KwaZ

SUBMITTER: Cornell M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4603282 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature