Sociodemographic and clinical profile of elderly individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) followed up at a specialized outpatient clinic in the Federal District

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the sociodemographic and clinical profile of elderly people living with HIV, correlating it with therapeutic adherence. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach was used. Data collection was carried out through interviews and information retrieval from medical records of elderly individuals diagnosed with HIV who are treated at a specialized outpatient clinic in the Federal District. The data collection instrument was a self-developed questionnaire that addressed sociodemographic and clinical variables (HIV history and treatment, comorbidities and associated conditions, and risk behaviors). The data were tabulated using Excel and the R statistical software version 4.4.0. Results: Forty elderly people living with HIV were interviewed, with an average age of 63.3 years, predominantly male, heterosexual, and of mixed race/color. Most were retired, resided in urban areas, and lived with family members. The diagnosis occurred mostly more than 10 years ago, mainly through routine screening. High adherence to antiretroviral therapy and a high rate of undetectable viral load were observed. Knowledge of the diagnosis by the family, present in most cases, may have contributed to coping with seropositivity, favoring adequate adherence of the elderly to therapy. Most of the interviewees presented comorbidities, with a predominance of metabolic/endocrine diseases, followed by cardiovascular diseases. Most used up to five medications and did not have recent hospitalizations. Conclusion: the results show high adherence to antiretroviral therapy with adequate virological control among elderly people followed in a specialized outpatient clinic, associated with a lower occurrence of recent hospitalizations. However, a high burden of chronic comorbidities is observed, which reinforces the need for continuous, individualized and multidisciplinary care, considering the clinical specificities and the aging process of people living with HIV.