Ive been HIV+ for 25 years. My Cd4 count is around 500 and my Viral Load undetectable. I very often get sick (bad colds, flu, tonsiltis, bronchitis, herpes zoster,sleeping problems, lipodistrophy, fatigue, and I cant gain weight. I'm 5'9''and I weigh 146 lbs. What is my life expectancy? What's the average life expectancy for HIV+ patients today? Russell

Russell

Assuming that your cardiovascular risks are low (no smoking, no family history of heart disease, good lipids), there is every reason to believe that you will have a full life. Some studies show that people with long term virus control may have a life expectancy that approaches that of HIV negatives, but we are still lagging by about 10 years behind them.

A 20-year-old HIV-positive person starting antiretroviral (ARV) therapy today can expect to live, on average, to the age of 69, according to calculations published July 26, 2008 in The Lancet. The study authors say this is a life expectancy increase of 37 percent over projections for 20-year-olds starting ARVs during the early years of combination treatment.

As you know, cardiovascular problems and certain cancers still make us vulnerable to earlier death even in the presence of long term controlled viral load. But I believe that those with good medical care probably will fair well with early detection.

Nelson