A characterization of older AIDS patients in Maryland.
Year: 1998
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This retrospective study evaluated Maryland acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients who were > or = 50 years at the time of AIDS diagnosis. All patients diagnosed between January 1987 and June 1996 who were > 50 years were included in the cohort. A total of 610 male (82.7%) and 128 female (17.3%) AIDS patients aged > or = 50 were identified. The most common mode of human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV) transmission was male-to-male sexual contact (34.7%). Additionally, 146 (19.8%) patients contracted HIV through blood transfusions, 93 (12.1%) were infected through heterosexual contact, 134 (18.6) were infected through i.v. drug abuse, and the remaining 109 (14.8%) had unknown risk factors. Data from this preliminary study demonstrate that an alarming percentage of AIDS patients (approximately 10%) in Maryland are aged > or = 50. Sexual contact, either male-to-male or heterosexual transmission, was the route of transmission for nearly 47% of this patient population. However, few research projects, educational programs, or public health initiatives are specifically targeted to this patient population. The increasing life expectancy of AIDS patients as well as the advent of new drug treatments highlights the need for further research to investigate the diagnosis and treatment of AIDS and HIV infection among older patients.
Source: PubMed Central
Authors: A K Wutoh, J Hidalgo, W Rhee, J Bareta
Institution: Howard University
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2406332121