Kaiser Permanente Research: Delayed HIV Treatment Increases Dementia Risk

Kaiser Permanente Division of Research press release Waiting to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) can have long-term health implications for people diagnosed with HIV — specifically, increased risk of dementia in later life, according to new Kaiser Permanente research. A study published in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases reported that patients treated for HIV who had a low CD4 count before they started ART were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia years later. “The finding that delayed ART can raise the risk of age-related dementia is eye-opening,” said study co-author Craig E. Hou, MD, a neurologist with The Permanente Medical Group. “Dementia risk involves multiple factors, from lifestyle to genetics, and can be even more complex among people with chronic disease. Having more evidence about what contributes to our patients’ cognitive issues will help us better understand and prevent dementias in the future.”