Ageing with HIV: Challenges and biomarkers

The antiretroviral treatment (ART) developed to control HIV infection led to a revolution in the prognosis of people living with HIV (PLWH). PLWH underwent from suffering severe disease and often fatal complications at young ages to having a chronic condition and a life expectancy close to the general population. Nevertheless, chronic age-related diseases increase as PLWH age. The harmful effect of HIV infection on the individual's immune system adds to its deterioration during ageing, exacerbating comorbidities. In addition, PLWH are more exposed to risk factors affecting ageing, such as coinfections or harmful lifestyles. The ART initiation reverses the biological ageing process but only partially, and additionally can have some toxicities that influence ageing. Observational studies sug-gest premature ageing in PLWH. Therefore, there is considerable interest in the early prediction of unhealthy ageing through validated biomarkers, easy to implement in HIV-clinical settings. The most promising biomarkers are sec-ond-generation epigenetic clocks and integrative algorithms. Copyright (C)& nbsp;2022 Fundacion Investigaci & on Biomodica del Hospital La Paz. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

Antiretroviral treatment has revolutionized the prognosis for people living with HIV, but as they age, they still face the risk of age-related diseases. Therefore, finding biomarkers for early prediction of unhealthy aging is of great importance for HIV clinical management.