Suppressed HIV was not linked to faster cognitive aging
An observational study of 259 people without HIV, 264 with suppressed HIV and 84 with detectable virus linked detectable virus to steeper cognitive decline.
Limit: Age-group differences can mimic cognitive decline; only a subset had repeat measurements
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In St. Louis, an observational study included 259 people without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 264 with suppressed HIV and 84 with detectable virus. Participants were aged 18–70; 71% were male and 68% were African American. Those with HIV were taking drugs to control it. Researchers analyzed cognitive tests and brain scans from 841 visits, combining comparisons across ages with repeat visits for some participants.
Older age was associated with similarly lower cognitive scores in people without HIV and those with suppressed HIV. The association was steeper with detectable virus. Both HIV groups had smaller volumes in most brain regions. Age-related differences in volume were similar across groups except in two deep-brain regions. The authors concluded that people with suppressed HIV did not show accelerated cognitive or brain-volume decline compared with people without HIV.
Why it matters
As people with HIV live longer, understanding how viral control relates to brain aging may help clarify their risk of cognitive disorders.
Caveats
The analysis combined comparisons across ages with repeat measurements in only a subset, so it cannot establish that suppressing HIV prevents faster decline. The findings do not cover people outside ages 18–70 or those with excluded conditions such as stroke or untreated severe depression.
The paper
Longitudinal Changes in Cognition and Brain Imaging in Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Washington University in St. Louis
The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Jan 16, 2026, Open access
