Advances in HIV treatment dramatically increase life expectancy

published on December 18, 2013

Research finds life expectancy of treated HIV-positive individuals approaches that of general population
in Canada and U.S.

Vancouver, B.C. [December 18, 2013] — An individual in North America beginning HIV treatment can now expect to live into their early 70s, a dramatic increase from just over 10 years ago, according to a new study from a collaboration of researchers led by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE).

The life expectancies of nearly 23,000 individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) were calculated based on mortality rates in the early to mid-2000s. There were 1,622 deaths recorded over 82,022 person-years for an overall mortality rate of 19.8 per 1,000 person-years. Researchers found that life expectancy for HIV-positive individuals at age 20 increased from 36.1 to 51.4 years between the periods of 2000–2002 and 2006–2007, meaning life expectancy is now approaching that of the general population.

“Since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy in 1996, treatment has become simpler, more effective, and better tolerated, leading to significant improvement in health outcomes,” said Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the BC-CfE. “Treatment advances mean HIV is now a chronic, manageable disease. Expanding access to treatment to all people living with HIV should be our number one priority.”

In addition to extending life expectancy, treatment has been shown to eliminate progression of HIV infection to AIDS and premature death, and significantly decrease the amount of virus in the blood and sexual fluids, thereby preventing transmission of HIV. The expansion of testing and access to treatment in British Columbia as part of the BC-CfE-pioneered Treatment as Prevention strategy, for example, has led to a decline in HIV-related morbidity and mortality by over 90 per cent in the province since 1995. Over the same time period, the number of new HIV diagnoses has fallen from more than 800 per year in 1995 to 238 in 2012.

The research measuring the life expectancy of people newly initiating treatment is the first large-scale study of HIV-positive individuals on treatment in North America. Participants in the study were from the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD), ART-naïve, and aged 20 years or older. While overall improvements in life expectancy were observed, researchers found that men and women had comparable life expectancies in all periods except the last (2006–2007). Women now fall behind men in life expectancy estimates, an additional 53.4 years compared to 47.3, at age 20. Life expectancy was also lower for individuals with a history of injection drug use, those who were non-Caucasian, and those who initiated ART with CD4 counts <350 cells/mm3.

“Advances in treatment have led to significant gains in public and individual health outcomes, however gaps still remain in terms of who is benefitting,” said Dr. Robert Hogg, NA-ACCORD investigator and director of the Epidemiology and Population Health Program at the BC-CfE. “Future research should investigate the challenges of treatment adherence associated with drug use, housing instability, lower socioeconomic status, and hepatitis C co-infection.”

The study, “Closing the Gap: Increases in Life Expectancy among Treated HIV-Positive Individuals in the United States and Canada,” was published today in PLOS ONE.

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About the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) is Canada’s largest HIV/AIDS research, treatment and education facility and is internationally recognized as an innovative world leader in combating HIV/AIDS and related diseases. BC-CfE is based at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care, a teaching hospital of the University of British Columbia. The BC-CfE works in close collaboration with key provincial stakeholders, including health authorities, health care providers, academics from other institutions, and the community to decrease the health burden of HIV and AIDS. By developing, monitoring and disseminating comprehensive research and treatment programs for HIV and related illnesses, the BC-CfE helps improve the health of British Columbians living with HIV.

About the University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of North America’s largest public research and teaching institutions, and one of only two Canadian institutions consistently ranked among the world’s 40 best universities. Surrounded by the beauty of the Canadian West, it is a place that inspires bold, new ways of thinking that have helped make it a national leader in areas as diverse as community service learning, sustainability and research commercialization. UBC offers more than 55,000 students a range of innovative programs and attracts $550 million per year in research funding from government, non-profit organizations and industry through 7,000 grants.

For additional information or to request interviews, please contact:

Kevin Hollett
BC-CfE
Phone: 604-682-2344 ext. 66536
Mobile: 778-848-3420
Email: khollett@cfenet.ubc.ca

BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

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Advances in HIV treatment dramatically increase life expectancy

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