Title: Factors associated with early biological aging in older people with HIV

Abstract

Objective: The advances and availability of antiretroviral treatment has enabled a longer life expectancy for the world’s HIV population. However, with its chronicity, premature aging challenges the management of people living with HIV. This study aimed to identify an association between risk factors and premature aging, using the biological age estimated by artificial intelligence (AI) based on deep learning (Aging 3.0). Method: This was a cross-sectional, analytical study with 59 older people living with HIV and using antiretroviral therapy, recruited by convenience sampling in two HIV referral hospitals in Recife /PE / Brazil, between May/2018 and February/2020. Results: The mean age of the 59 older people 64.3 years and 66.1% were male. Premature aging was identified in 67.8%. The presence of cannabis and diabetes were significant (p=0.045 and p=0.042, respectively). For current and nadir CD4+ cell counts, participants were divided into groups comparing biological age (BA) and chronological age (CA). Just one group presented no premature aging, whereas the group with premature aging was subdivided into BA>CA up to 4 years and BA>CA in 5 or more years. The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes was 20.3% and 35.6%, respectively, and the significant risk factors were physical activity, coronary disease, risk of cardiovascular disease in ten years, HDL cholesterol levels and glycemia. Conclusion: Our results suggest that older people living HIV experienced early biological aging, as estimated by a set of peripheral blood biomarkers, and chronic diseases not related to AIDS.