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Opposite effects of chronic HIV infection and antiretroviral medication on organismal and organ-specific biological aging.

Nature communications

Authors: Yubo Zhang, Vasiliki Matzaraki, Nadira Vadaq, Marc J T Blaauw, Wilhelm Vos, Albert Groenendijk, Louise van Eekeren, Janneke Stalenhoef, Marvin Ah Berrevoets, Casper Rokx, Mareva Delporte, Twan Otten, Leo A B Joosten, Cheng-Jian Xu, Yang Li, Linos Vandekerckhove, Andre van der Ven, Mihai G Netea

People with HIV (PWH) on combination antiretroviral therapy have an elevated risk for aging-related non-AIDS comorbidities. We assess whether HIV infection accelerates biological aging in two independent cohorts of PWH using six organ-specific and three organism-wide aging clocks derived from plasma proteomics of healthy individuals. Proteomic age acceleration significantly correlates with DNA methylation age and is linked to comorbidities and mortality. HIV infection accelerates systemic biological aging, with Mendelian randomization demonstrating causality between organ aging and inflammatory or metabolic complications. Accelerated aging in PWH is further related to the total HIV reservoir, and specific antiretroviral drugs reduce age acceleration. These data reveal important causal effects between chronic HIV infection, antiretroviral medication, biological aging and age-associated diseases, highlighting targets for improving health span in PWH.

© 2026. The Author(s).

PMID: 41667490

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