title: [Clinical and epidemiological study of a series of HIV-infected patients over 50 years old].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has changed in recent years. Cases in persons over the age of 50 have increased, and the most frequent mode of transmission is sexual contact. The objective of this study is to analyse the epidemiological, clinical and evolution characteristics of a clinical series of HIV-infected patients over 50 years old at the time of diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  165 HIV-infected patients over the age of 50, attended at Hospital Clinic (Barcelona) and Corporació Parc Taulí (Sabadell) during the period of 1985 to 2001, were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the total, 81% of the patients were men, mean age at the time of diagnosis was 58.5 years, and 81.8% had acquired the disease by sexual contact. The median initial CD4 T cell count was 216 cells/microl. Initial viral load was 1,000-100,000 copies/ml in 45.2% of the patients, whereas 52.3% had > 100,000 copies/ml. At the time of diagnosis, 30.9% had an AIDS-defining disease. The main opportunistic diseases were pulmonary tuberculosis, Kaposi's sarcoma, P. jiroveci (before carinii) pneumonia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Mortality due to AIDS was 32.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjects over 50 years old diagnosed with HIV-infection were predominantly men, who acquired the infection by sexual contact. A high percentage of patients were diagnosed with the development of an opportunistic disease.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Corporació Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain. eanton@cspt.es
authors.forename: Esperança
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Antón
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mallolas
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cervantes
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gatell
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Segura
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000401:mortality; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction