HIV+ People Live 10 Years Longer Than They Used To

People infected with HIV are living around 10 years longer than those who had been infected in the mid '90s, the Lancet HIVreports.

The introduction of anti-HIV drugs played a large part in the growth in life expectancy, but it's not the only reason. The new treatment requires consumption of only one dailt pill, as opposed to several, meaning it's much more likely patients will remember to take their prescriptions regularly. The modern version of HIV meds also have fewer negative side effects. And since the HIV infections are being kept more in check, doctors can provide greater attention to other problems patients are facing, such as heart disease.

The research done by Lancet says that HIV treatments are effective, but those with the virus still aren't living as long as those without it. That's likely in large part because of access to consistent medication and treatment. Those in lower income brackets and those injecting drugs into their bodies were found to have a lower life expectancy than their more affluent counterparts.

A total of 88,504 patients were surveyed for this study, and the official findings are as follows: "Even in the late ART (antiretroviral therapy) era, survival during the first 3 years of ART continues to improve, which probably reflects transition to less toxic antiretroviral drugs, improved adherence, prophylactic measures, and management of comorbidity. Prognostic models and life expectancy estimates should be updated to account for these improvements."