Introduction. Advances in hemophilia care and treatment have led to increases in the life expectancy among hemophiliacs. As a result, persons with hemophilia are reaching an older age and experiencing various age-related health conditions never seen before in this population. Aim. To determine the prevalence of comorbidities among middle-aged and elderly hemophilia A and hemophilia B patients. Methods. Retrospective chart review among all hemophilia patients, who attended the Gulf States Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Center. Results. All patients had at least one comorbid condition other than hemophilia, and the majority had between 3 and 6 comorbidities. The most common conditions identified were chronic hepatitis C, hypertension, HIV, chronic arthropathy, and overweight/obesity. Conclusions. Since persons with comorbidities are more likely to have poorer health outcomes and require greater care in managing their health needs, caring for aging hemophiliacs is likely to pose various social and economic challenges for both patients and providers. 1. Introduction During the past three decades, the life expectancy for individuals with hemophilia A (a hereditary deficiency of coagulation factor VIII) and hemophilia B (a hereditary deficiency of coagulation factor IX) has markedly increased, primarily due to advances in medical care, as well as the introduction and availability of clotting factor replacement products and effective treatments for infectious diseases [1–10]. However, with this increased longevity and improved quality of life, comes a generation of middle-aged and elderly hemophiliacs that are experiencing age-related health conditions that have subsequently not been seen in this population [1, 6, 10]. Prior to the availability of factor replacement therapy, the majority of patients with hemophilia died at an early age from bleeding problems [2, 4, 11]. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, high death rates were observed, due to blood-borne viral infections, specifically human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and replaced bleeding complications as the primary cause of death among hemophiliacs [5, 12]. Nevertheless, barring the increased mortality rates discerned during this period, the life expectancy for patients with hemophilia, particularly those with mild or moderate hemophilia, in high and middle income nations, is currently drawing near to that of the general male population [13, 14]. While a variety of age-related co-morbidities have been reported among males in the general population, only a modest amount of
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