Editor's Note: From July 22-26, 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference（AIDS 2024） was held in Munich, Germany, bringing together 15,000 professionals and advocates from around the world to discuss the latest advancements and future challenges in HIV prevention and treatment. At the conference, Dr. Biao Zhu from the First Affiliated Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine presented a retrospective study conducted by his team. The report analyzed the changing disease spectrum of hospitalized HIV-infected patients in comprehensive hospitals in Eastern China over the past 12 years, revealing not only the survival status of HIV-infected patients in the Yangtze River Delta region but also significant changes in their disease spectrum as they achieve long-term survival.Dr. Zhu explained that, at the beginning of the study, the primary diseases among hospitalized HIV-infected patients were infectious diseases, particularly opportunistic infections. However, over time, these patients began to develop other comorbidities, with a gradual increase in the incidence of tumors and cardiovascular diseases. Notably, the proportion of both hematological and non-hematological tumors has been rising steadily, while the incidence of other opportunistic infections has shown a marked decline. This shift indicates that future clinical treatments will require multidisciplinary collaboration to address the diverse clinical challenges faced by HIV-infected patients.
Regarding the changes in the disease spectrum among these hospitalized HIV-infected patients, Dr. Zhu attributed the primary cause to early diagnosis and early treatment. Through early hospital-based antiretroviral therapy and immune reconstruction, the immune function of hospitalized HIV-infected patients has been effectively improved, leading to a reduction in the incidence of opportunistic infections and an extension of the patients’ lifespans. However, this has also resulted in a gradual increase in the proportion of age-related and degenerative diseases within the disease spectrum of the HIV-infected population.
In response to the observed changes in the disease spectrum, Dr. Zhu suggested that current HIV treatment and prevention strategies need to be adjusted and optimized. He emphasized that future treatment strategies should focus on the comprehensive management and treatment of comorbidities in HIV-infected patients to improve their long-term quality of life.
Looking ahead, Dr. Zhu plans to continue his research in this field. He is considering expanding the study’s scope, introducing new research methods, and focusing on other specific populations, such as HIV-infected individuals in economically underdeveloped areas. Additionally, he offered recommendations for other researchers in this field, suggesting that multicenter studies should be conducted to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the changing disease spectrum of HIV-infected patients in China. This would provide strong support for the national prevention and control strategies and help promote the comprehensive management and treatment of HIV-infected patients in China, ultimately improving their quality of life.
