HIV/AIDS in the elderly: epidemiological impact and associated risk factors in the State of Piauí, Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira, Evaldo Hipólito de
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Verde, Roseane Mara Cardoso Lima, Oliveira Filho, Aldemir Branco, Soares, Leonardo Ferreira, Silva Júnior, Francisco Tiago dos Santos, Queiroz, Maria Alice Freitas, Vallinoto, Antonio Carlos Rosário
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Research, Society and Development
• Texto Completo: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/5906
• topic: Epidemiología; VIH; Mayor; Factores de riesgo.; Epidemiologia; HIV; Idosos; Fatores de risco.; Epidemiology; HIV; Elderly; Risk factors.

The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence, epidemiological and socioeconomic profile and risk factors associated with HIV-1 infection in elderly patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the state of Piauí, Brazil. A total of 805 individuals seen at the Central Laboratory of Public Health of Piauí were included. The subjects were classified into two groups: a group of individuals 18 to 59 years old and a group of those 60 years or older. These individuals were tested for HIV-1 infection (ELISA), which was monitored by TCD4+/CD8+ lymphocyte count (flow cytometry) and viral load quantification (branched DNA method), and for coinfections with HBV, HCV and HTLV-1/2 (ELISA and PCR). They also answered an epidemiological questionnaire on socio-demographic, epidemiological and clinical characteristics. The frequency of HIV-1 infection in elderly patients was 3.7% (30/805). The majority of patients were male (66.6%), had a primary school education level (90%), were married (40%) and had a family income of 1 to 4 times the minimum wage (63.3%). The main behavioral risk factors associated with these individuals included lack of condom use (100%) and a history of Sexual Transmitted Diseases – STI (53.3%), surgery (63.3%) or blood transfusion (40%). The elderly patients also had a higher frequency of HIV-HTLV-1/2 co-infection (13.3%). Identifying the main characteristics related to HIV infection in the elderly is important to show that these individuals are also susceptible to HIV-1 infection and must be made aware of risk behaviors.