Grant: Project Grant

People living with HIV show accelerated aging meaning they experience age-related illnesses earlier in life. This is clearly related to their HIV infection, but it could also be exacerbated by the treatment they receive, as well as by other viral infections of the type that stay with people for life (i.e. herpes virus and chicken pox virus)., or even bad habits such as smoking. Smoking rates are high among people living with HIV in Canada. This research will try to elucidate the contribution of each of these factors to the aging of immune cells, and how this may relate to age-associated illnesses and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, liver disease and cancer. We will study women living with HIV or not whom we have already been following for a long time. We will measure markers of aging, and consider other factors such as life habits, psychosocial stressors such as stigma or raciism, to understand what drives the acceleration of natural aging.