The Aging Patient with Hemophilia: Complications, Comorbidities, and Management Issues

Improvements in hemophilia care and antiviral treatments have resulted in increases in median life expectancy for persons with congenital hemophilia A and B. Currently, 2% of hemophilia A and B patients surveyed in US comprehensive hemophilia treatment centers are 65 years of age or older and 15% are 45 years or older. Many of the complications of hemophilia, including intracranial hemorrhage, joint disease, and inhibitor development, increase with increasing age. Hepatocellular carcinoma and end-stage liver disease are increasing in the older hemophilia population due to infection with hepatitis C (HCV) and HCV/HIV coinfection. Older hemophilia patients also now face the same medical conditions associated with aging in the general population, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Complex hemostatic management, sometimes in conjunction with antithrombotic management, with extensive cross-specialty clinical and laboratory coordination may be required for the care of the older hemophilia patient. Because elderly hemophilia patients currently represent a small portion of the overall hemophilia population, there is little in the way of clinical data to guide recommendations. Registry databases and cooperative group studies are needed for the development of evidence-based guidelines for the older hemophilia population, which is anticipated to expand in the future.