title: Justification for a new cohort study of people aging with and without HIV infection.
abstract: This supplement contains a series of papers supporting the justification, design, and implementation of a longitudinal cohort study of an aging HIV-positive and HIV-negative veteran population called the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS). Although the papers cover a wide range of topics and several papers address methodologic issues not unique to a study of aging veterans, all are motivated by a unifying set of assumptions. Specifically: (a) HIV/AIDS is a chronic disease in an aging population; (b) conditions among HIV-positive and -negative patients in care have overlapping etiologies; (c) individuals with pre-existing organ injury are at increased risk for iatrogenic injury; (d) cohort studies are uniquely suited to the study of chronic disease complicated by aging, comorbid conditions, drug toxicities, and substance use/abuse; (e) VACS is well positioned to study HIV as a chronic disease in an aging population.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive C 11E-124 (130-U), Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA. Amy.Justice@med.va.gov
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Justice
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Landefeld
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Asch
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gifford
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Whalen
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Covinsky
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012107:Research Design; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans