HIV and Aging
Research to identify and address the long-term health needs of people aging with HIV—including older adults with HIV, as well as lifetime and long-term survivors—across the care continuum is necessary to support this increasing population and their care providers. In 2022, more than half (53.7%) of all people with HIV in the United States were aged 50 or older, and about 15.4% percent of new diagnoses occurred in this age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Older people with HIV face unique challenges and have a higher risk of certain comorbidities, such as neurocognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.
Long-term and lifetime survivors with HIV also may experience aging-related conditions at younger ages. Long-term survivors are people who have had HIV for 10 years or longer, including people who were diagnosed with HIV before the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), while lifetime survivors are people who acquired HIV perinatally or shortly after birth. According to CDC, there are 13,000 people in the United States who acquired HIV perinatally, the oldest of whom are now in their 30s and early 40s. NIH supports basic, translational, and clinical research across its Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) to increase understanding of comorbidities and their prevention and management, as well as their relationship to aging and HIV. HIV and aging is also a key focus of the FY 2021–2025 NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research (NIH HIV Strategic Plan).
This webpage provides information on NIH research priorities related to HIV and aging, links to clinical materials, resources on HIV and aging at various ICOs, funding information, and other resources.
October 24-25, 2024: 15th International Workshop on Aging & HIV
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) symposium “Emerging Topics in HIV and Aging Research: Early Career Investigator Spotlight,” was held on October 24, 2024 during the International Workshop on Aging & HIV in Washington, D.C. Organized by the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), the event highlighted the critical intersection of HIV and aging research, emphasizing the need for innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to improve health outcomes and quality of life for people living with HIV. View the executive summary. View the recording on YouTube.
HIV and Aging Signature Program
The NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) launched the HIV and Aging Signature Program in 2022 to meet increasing public health needs as people with HIV age and to catalyze interdisciplinary research and training at the intersection of HIV and aging. OAR also convened a working group co-led by the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA) to link NIH, people aging with HIV and their community advocates, researchers, and relevant U.S. government agency partners in discussions to foster collaboration, identify research gaps and opportunities, facilitate integrative research and training, and promote faster implementation of research results. Representatives from ICOs across NIH have signed on to participate in the NIH working group to represent the multifaceted HIV and aging portfolio.
ICOs participating in the NIH OAR HIV and Aging Working Group include:
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
- Fogarty International Center (Fogarty)
- Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)
Updates
September 2024: NIH OAR Data Hub: NIH HIV and Aging Topical Portfolio Analysis
The OAR Data Hub leverages and synthesizes publicly available data about the NIH HIV research portfolio. The NIH HIV and Aging Topical Portfolio Analysis provides information on the number of NIH-funded projects related to HIV and aging, funding amounts, and ICOs that conduct research on HIV and aging.
September 2023: NIH, along with federal and community partners, held two events in September 2023 to highlight the critical need to advance research in support of people aging with HIV. A virtual workshop, “NIH HIV and Aging Research: Current Landscape and Opportunities,” convened researchers, community members, and federal partners to survey the landscape of research at the intersection of HIV and aging and identify future research directions. In addition, NIH, federal, and community partners held a panel discussion at the 2023 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) to explore how federal agencies, the HIV community, researchers, and clinicians can work together to prioritize interdisciplinary research, training, and implementation strategies. See the full agenda here. Read this OAR Director’s Blog post for a summary of these events and other OAR activities in the HIV and aging space.
NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining HIV/AIDS Funding
Find information from OAR about NIH HIV/AIDS research priorities, such as HIV and aging, and guidelines for allocation of HIV funding for fiscal years (FY) 2021–2025.
NIH HIV/AIDS Professional Judgment Budget
This document estimates the funds needed to fully pursue scientific opportunities leading to an end to the HIV pandemic. Referred to as the Professional Judgment (or Presidential Bypass) Budget, this document represents the professional judgment of OAR as to the HIV research funding needs to fully pursue scientific opportunities leading to an end to the HIV pandemic and is presented directly to the President. The FY 2025 NIH HIV/AIDS Professional Judgment Budget includes support for research to improve HIV prevention, care, and quality of life for the aging population.
Congressional Budget Justification
The annual Congressional Budget Justification for OAR explains the NIH HIV/AIDS budget to Congress and is explicitly tied to the NIH HIV research priorities and the strategic objectives identified in the NIH HIV Strategic Plan. The FY 2024 Congressional Budget Justification includes NIH support for research to increase understanding of comorbidities and their prevention and management from chronic HIV infection and long-term use of antiretroviral therapy, as well as their relationship to aging and HIV.
National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS)
Developed by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), NHAS sets bold targets for ending the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030, including a 75 percent reduction in new HIV infections by 2025 and a 90 percent reduction by 2030. NHAS expands discussion of populations with or experiencing risk for HIV whose unique circumstances warrant specific attention and tailored services, such as older adults.
NIH OAR Data Hub: Showcasing the NIH HIV Research Portfolio
The NIH OAR Data Hub leverages and synthesizes publicly available data about the NIH HIV research portfolio to promote greater understanding of HIV research at NIH, such as HIV and aging, and enable researchers to identify awards relevant to their specific interests.
Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents with HIV
This federally approved clinical practice guideline provides guidance on antiretroviral treatment in adults and adolescents, with sections on special populations, including older adults, women, and transgender people with HIV.
- Recommendations for HIV and the Older Person
- Recommendations for Women with HIV
- Recommendations for Transgender People with HIV
ClinicalTrials.gov trials on HIV and AIDS
Find clinical trials on HIV and AIDS around the world that are publicly and privately funded.
HIVinfo HIV Source
This portal provides English- and Spanish-language resources on HIV from within and outside the federal government.
HIVinfo.NIH.gov HIV Fact Sheets
These HIVinfo fact sheets provide an overview of HIV, as well as information on HIV prevention, treatment, HIV and pregnancy, side effects of HIV medicines, and other topics related to living with HIV. The HIV and Older People fact sheet provides information about HIV risk factors, testing, and treatment in older adults.
Clinicalinfo.HIV.gov Drug Database
The Clinicalinfo Drug Database provides information on HIV-related drugs, including antiretroviral and opportunistic infection drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as investigational drugs.
- Administration for Community Living
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
- Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
- Addressing the Health Care and Social Support Needs of People Aging with HIV: Technical Expert Panel Executive Summary
- Optimizing HIV Care for People Aging with HIV
- Older Adults Served by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, 2021
- Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program
- HIV.gov
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
This list of notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) and notices of special interest (NOSIs) may include topics relevant to HIV and aging research. Please refer to the individual NOFO or NOSI for information on applicant eligibility, application requirements, and NIH program scientific/research contacts. Find additional grant and funding opportunities in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.
NOFOs and NOSIs for HIV and Aging
- PAR-24-091: Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
- PAR-24-092: Multidisciplinary Studies of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
- PAR-23-024: Catalyst Award for Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs) Pursuing Research on HIV Comorbidities, Coinfections, and Complications (DP1- Clinical Trial Optional)
AIDS Research Centers Program
This program seeks to foster a synergistic approach to research on mental health issues of HIV infection.
Centers for AIDS Research (CFAR)
This program provides administrative and shared research support to synergistically enhance and coordinate high-quality HIV/AIDS research projects through core facilities that provide expertise, resources, and services that otherwise are not readily available through more traditional funding mechanisms.
- Centers for AIDS Research Sites: CFARs located throughout the United States.
- Centers for AIDS Research (CFAR) Site Contacts: Links to individual sites.
NIH OAR Director’s Blog
HIV and Aging: Advancing Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Research
NIH, along with federal and community partners, held two events in 2023 that highlighted the critical need to advance research in support of people aging with HIV.
OAR Marks 35 Years of Advancing HIV Research
In 1988, Congress passed the Health Omnibus Programs Extension (HOPE Act), which established the OAR to coordinate HIV and AIDS research across NIH. OAR was the first and remains the only NIH-wide office dedicated to one specific condition.
NIH OAR Leadership at the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS
In December 2021, OAR was honored to play an important role at the virtual U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA). The host organization, NMAC, is an advocacy consortium whose mission is to “lead with race” to champion health equity and racial justice to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.
National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day: Paths to Progress
On September 18, 2021, public health professionals, health care providers, organizations, advocates, and communities united to recognize National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD). NHAAD provides an opportunity to reflect on the unique challenges related to HIV and aging—and to discuss the best path forward with HIV prevention, treatment, and care.
NIH Workshop on HIV-Associated Comorbidities, Coinfections, and Complications
On September 19–20, 2019, NHLBI and OAR co-sponsored an NIH Workshop on HIV-Associated Comorbidities, Coinfections and Complications (CCCs).
National HIV/AIDS & Aging Awareness Day
Each year on September 18, researchers, health care providers, and other communities and organizations around the country observe National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD). Established in 2008 by the AIDS Institute, NHAAD raises awareness to the challenges faced by aging populations who live with HIV, which include: HIV prevention, treatment and care; and HIV-related (CCCs).
Better Understanding the Nature of Comorbidities in People with HIV
In April 2019, the NIH Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) and the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) studies that began in 1984 and 1994, respectively, were combined into a single cohort known as the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MACS/WIHS-CCS) with nearly 5,000 active participants. While continuing to further efforts on preventing HIV, NIH shifted the emphasis of support for this study to research HIV-related comorbidities.
Confronting Challenges of HIV and Aging
Because both age and HIV increase the risk for many health conditions, aging with HIV presents unique challenges for preventing neurocognitive disorders and other diseases.
Articles
Office of AIDS Research and National Institute on Aging Launch Collaboration
OAR and NIA are collaborating to help increase understanding of the neurological processes contributing to dementia in older adults, including those with HIV. In September 2018, OAR and NIA announced awards for cross-disciplinary projects that will study the similarities and differences between the mental and physical declines seen in Alzheimer’s disease and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND).
This page last reviewed on April 28, 2025