A new study presented at ESCMID Global 2026 adds evidence that untreated HIV can accelerate biological aging and that antiretroviral therapy can partially reverse that effect.
Researchers used a tool called a proteomic aging clock, which estimates biological age from protein patterns in blood plasma. Biological age is different from chronological age: it reflects how body systems appear to be aging physiologically rather than simply counting years lived.
The analysis used samples from people with HIV before treatment, when virus was detectable in blood, and after treatment, when antiretroviral therapy had suppressed the infection. During untreated HIV infection, participants showed a median biological age acceleration of about 10 years. After a median of 1.55 years on therapy, proteomic age dropped by an average of 3.7 years.
The improvement continued with longer exposure to antiretroviral therapy, suggesting that sustained viral suppression may allow broader immune and inflammatory recovery. Researchers noted that the improvement was not explained only by CD4 or CD8 T-cell recovery, pointing instead to wider changes in inflammation and innate immune signaling.
The clinical implication is straightforward: start HIV treatment promptly and support adherence. Antiretroviral therapy remains the central tool for controlling HIV, preventing transmission, and reducing long-term complications. This study suggests it may also help narrow the biological aging gap associated with untreated infection.