POPPY study waves 4 and 5

Poppy waves four and five is a prospective observational study to examine the effects of ageing on the clinical outcomes of people living with HIV in England and Ireland.

Our study is a continuation of the main POPPY Study (‘Pharmacokinetic and Clinical Observations in People Over Fifty’) and the aim is for 1,377 study participants who completed visits one to three, to join this new study waves four and five. It is an observational study: participants will receive standard care and treatment is not determined by the study protocol. POPPY waves four and five will take place at eight hospitals in the UK and Ireland.

This study is being funded by Gilead Sciences and ViiV Healthcare, and it is anticipated it will take around two years to complete the visits on 1,377 participants. Analyses from the first three visits of the main POPPY study have included detailed description of cognitive function, bone health, mental health and antiretroviral drug exposure in people living with HIV with several novel and clinically important findings. This study will continue to investigate the impact of older age on the experience of living with HIV in England and Ireland. In particular, we are interested in documenting the medical conditions that cause problems to the aging population in this cohort, and the effect of these medical conditions (and any treatment received) on their lives and their HIV care.

The research will involve two study visits at the clinic which are expected to take up to four hours and all study participants will be followed over two years. At each visit, participants will undergo a clinical examination (including cognitive testing at wave five visit) and will be asked to complete questionnaires about their health, lifestyle, and quality of life over the past year. Respiratory function will be assessed at wave four visit. A scan of bone density (DXA scan) will be performed at wave five visit. This would detect any signs of osteoporosis or bone thinning. Blood and urine samples will be stored for future analysis. Drug exposure will be determined for those on HIV treatment.

Please find more information about the Poppy waves four and five on the Health Research Authority Poppy Waves 4 and 5 page.