Putting HIV Into PerspectiveSince the late 1980s, there have been tremendous scientific advances in the understanding of how HIV affects the body and how it is treated. Today, thirty years later, HIV is no longer a death sentence; in fact, people are living with HIV.1

Living longer with HIV presents its own set of challenges. These patients face a higher risk of developing and dying from other life-threatening conditions not related to HIV, such as cardiovascular disease, hepatitis C virus, diabetes and complications from substance abuse and psychiatric illness.1,2 While health problems such as heart disease and diabetes are commonly diagnosed in aging populations; people living with HIV have a higher risk of developing these conditions earlier in life.1

Did you know?

Mental IllnessMental illness is associated with increased difficulty in treating HIV and a more rapid progression of the disease. Comorbid psychiatric illnesses, especially major depressive disorder and substance use disorders, have been foundto be highly predictive of suicidal ideation in HIV-positive individuals.5

Cigarette SmokingThe rate of smoking is two to three times higher in HIV-positive adults than in the general population.2

Heart DiseaseThe incidence of hospitalization for coronary heart disease or myocardial infarction is twice as high in HIV-infected individuals.6

High Blood PressureHIV-positive patients are three times

more likely to develop hypertension than those testing

negative for the virus.3

Hepatitis C VirusAbout 25% of people with HIV in

the United States are also infectedwith hepatitis C virus (HCV).

HCV progresses faster and causes more liver-related health problems among people with HIV than among

those who do not have HIV. Liver disease has become the leading

cause of non-AIDS-related deathsin this population.4

DiabetesPeople living with HIV are four times more likely to develop diabetes as

those without the virus.3

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1 AIDS.gov: Aging with HIV/AIDS. Accessible via https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/staying-healthy-with-hiv-aids/taking-care-of-yourself/aging-with-hiv-aids/. July 2015. Accessed March 2017. 2 American Addiction Centers: Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS. Accessible via http://americanaddictioncenters.org/substance-abuse-hiv/ 2017. Accessed March 2017. 3 AIDS Education and Training Center: Renal Disease. Accessible via: https://aidsetc.org/guide/renal-disease April 2014. Accessed March 2017. 4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: HIV and Viral Hepatitis Fact Sheet. Accessible via https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library_factsheets_HIV_and_viral_Hepatitis.pdf March 2014. Accessed March 2017. 5 American Psychological Association: HIV and psychiatric comorbidities: What do we know and what can we do? Accessible via http://www.apa.org/pi/aids/resources/exchange/2013/01/comorbidities.aspx January 2013. Accessed March 2017. 6 AIDS Education and Training Center: Coronary Heart Disease Risk. Accessible via: https://aidsetc.org/guide/coronary-heart-disease-risk April 2014. Accessed March 2017.