One of the first questions a patient newly diagnosed with HIV may ask is, "How long will I live?" A new study from CDC researchers, which reports data on life expectancy from the time of diagnosis and average years of life lost (AYLL)*, may help in answering that question [Siddiqi, et al. JAIDS 2016; PMID 26890283].
 

Using CDC HIV Surveillance Report data from all 50 US states and the District of Columbia, the researchers estimated life expectancy by year of HIV diagnosis for individuals reported to have been diagnosed during the four years from 2008 to 2011.  Life expectancy was further stratified by HIV exposure category, sex, and race/ethnicity.  The authors did not consider post-diagnosis factors such as engagement in care or virologic suppression.

Overall, between 2008 and 2011, the average life expectancy at the time of HIV diagnosis increased by 3.5 years, from 25.4 to 28.9 years. By transmission category, life expectancy at the time of diagnosis in 2011 was highest (32.3 years) among men having sex with men (MSM); it was lowest (20.2 years) among men injecting drugs. Analysis by race indicated that life expectancy was highest among Hispanic/Latinos, followed by blacks, whites, and other races (range: 26.1 to 30.8 years). Average years of life lost were not similarly stratified. With regard to sex, for all men diagnosed at age 25, the AYLL was 16.8 years; for women diagnosed at age 25, AYLL was 23.2 years.

This analysis demonstrates continued overall improvement in HIV survival, which may reflect increasing efforts to engage people living with HIV in care and to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the analysis also highlights discrepancies in survival by population group, which most likely reflects better engagement in care among MSM than among injection drug users. And while the study reinforces the value of ART for achieving longevity, its findings suggest that nearly normal life expectancy with HIV infection depends not only on access to ART for all patients but also support to overcome the systemic social, economic, and substance use challenges to maintain engagement in care and adherence to ART.