title: Clinical presentation of HIV infection in patients aged 50 years or older.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical presentation of HIV disease in older patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the period 1989-1996 we reviewed the medical records of 100 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection aged 50 years or older and, 197 controls among HIV-infected patients aged 15-40 years, who attended six institutions in the autonomous community of Valencia (Spain).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Older patients were mostly males (86%), men who have sex with men (42%) or unknown (20%) as exposure categories. Older patients had lower CD4 cell counts/mm3 (163+/-136 vs. 450+/-373, P= 0.008), and had AIDS at first evaluation (49% vs. 29%, P = 0.0006) compared with younger patients. For patients presenting with AIDS at HIV infection diagnosis, type and frequency of AIDS indicator diseases did not differ between older and younger patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Studies on clues for early detection of HIV infection in patients aged 50 years or older are urgently needed to improve the health care in this population.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Division of Hospital Marina Baixa, Villajoyosa, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ena
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valls
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López Aldeguer
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: García Gascó
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Añón
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boix
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Portilla
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roig
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Masiá
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maestre Peiró
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents