That’s the current estimate. And the older you get, the more medications you’re likely to be taking along with your HIV regimen. So having doctors monitor drug interactions is key, according to The HIV and Aging Consensus Project: Recommended Treatment Strategies for Clinicians Managing Older Patients with HIV, a special report issued at the end of 2011 by the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM) and other groups.

Jim Campbell, president and CEO of the New England Association on HIV Over 50, says, “It helps that the HIV community over 50 is finally recognized as a separate, more complex category.” Along with drug interactions, Campbell praises the report’s focus on diabetes and heart disease: “Every day I hear someone say they need better medical help with one of these issues.”