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HIV/AIDS
Tenofovir alafenamide safer for bones and kidneys than tenofovir DF
After three years, tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) for first-line HIV treatment was better at suppressing viral load and safer for the bones and kidneys than...
How vedolizumab antibody therapy leads to sustained viral remission
HIV and its monkey cousin SIV can carry the alpha-4 beta-7 integrin receptor in their outer envelope, which helps the virus enter gut cells...
The history of first HIV/Aids drug
Today, if someone is diagnosed with HIV, he or she can choose among 41 drugs that can treat the disease. And there’s a good...
Estimates show mother-to-child HIV transmission dropping in US
Research has estimated that there were 69 perinatal human immunodeficiency virus or HIV infections among infants born in the US in 2013 (1.75 per...
MRI to identify HIV persistence in brain despite effective drug Tx
Scientists at University College London (UCL) have developed a way to use MRI scans to help identify when HIV is persisting in the brain...
Dolutegravir + single other drug can work as maintenance therapy
Dolutegravir used alone without other antiretrovirals was unable to keep viral load suppressed in some people who switched from a standard three-drug combination regimen,...
'Test and treat' strategy successfully getting more people onto ARVs
After a second wave of intensive household testing, a large study of the 'test and treat' strategy in Zambia is diagnosing more people with...
No virus transmission when HIV successfully suppressed by medication
When the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is successfully suppressed by medication, people with HIV can't transmit the virus to others, according to a public...
Study looks at hypertension in sub-Saharan patients with HIV
Traditional cardiovascular risk factors predicted incident hypertension in a sub-Saharan Africa study, but no association was observed with immunological or antiretroviral treatment status.
Many countries...
Dutch adherence programme boosts HIV Tx success rate
Dutch researchers have developed an HIV medication adherence programme that has been successful in increasing treatment success rates by almost 18%, claiming it as...
HIV integrase inhibitors may increase risk of IRIS
HIV integrase inhibitors such as dolutegravir and raltegravir may increase the risk of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), studies from the Netherlands and France...
Transmitted drug resistance mutations increase in HIV
Transmitted drug-resistance mutations in HIV increased among ART–naive patients from 2000 to 2013, according to Gilead Sciences study findings.
“The research and discovery of chemical...
Robust pipeline of ART drugs in development
The Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2017) included presentations on several new investigational antiretroviral drugs in development, reflecting a more robust pipeline, says...
Implications stemming from evolving definitions of 'safe sex'
Evolving definitions of what is ‘safe sex’ has implications for treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), says Martin Holt of the University of...
Cautious use of TDF among those at fracture risk recommended
Viread, in contrast with other antiretroviral medications, was associated with an increased risk for bone fractures in people with HIV in a recent study....
Better mental health management improves Tx outcomes
Improved management of depression and other mental health disorders has the potential to improve the outcomes of HIV treatment programmes, Pamela Collins of the...
New HIV/heart disease study launched in SA
A new drug trial study launched in South Africa is targeting life-threatening diseases in people living with HIV.
According to an IoL report, studies have...
Significant role of sexual violence in HIV infection and depression
Sexual violence plays a significant role in HIV infection and depression, according to ground-breaking research with women living in Rustenburg. Conducted by humanitarian organisation...
Treatment or watchful waiting for cervical abnormalities in HIV women?
Close monitoring of earlier-stage cervical abnormalities (CIN-2) may be preferable to treatment for many women with HIV, a US study suggests.
The findings, presented at...
Experimental STI prophylaxis in PrEP users
Use of the antibiotic doxycycline as on-demand post-exposure prophylaxis by men who have sex with men (MSM) taking part in the Ipergay HIV pre-exposure...
Prednisone reduces TB-IRIS risk in HIV patients
Patients with HIV had significantly less risk for clinical deterioration due to tuberculosis–related inflammation when given prednisone early in their treatment regimen in a...
Linkage to care following HIV diagnosis the biggest weakness
A study carried out through the Africa Health Research Institute in KwaZulu-Natal, found that less than half of the population with HIV in the...
Living longer with HIV associated with depression
Longer time living with diagnosed HIV infection is strongly associated with depression, anxiety and poor quality of life, according to UK research. Older age...
ART creating complacency and risky behaviour
A survey spanning 19 years of participants at a gay pride event in the US notes a consistent increase in the occurrence of condomless...
Legalising some sex work helps reduce HIV incidence
Countries that have legalised some aspects of sex work have fewer sex workers living with HIV than countries that criminalise all aspects of sex...
Starting Tx immediately after diagnosis not harmful for adolescents
A lack of lengthy preparation before starting HIV treatment does not result in an increased risk of death or loss to follow-up in adolescents,...
Reduced health trade-offs in HIV+ and diabetes patients
HIV-positive people who received healthy food and snacks for six months were more likely to adhere to their medication regimens, and they, as well...
Cognitive impairment risk high for patients with HIV
More than half of patients with HIV who participated in a cross-sectional study screened positive for cognitive impairment, researchers in Ireland reported.
According to a...
Vitamin D deficiency negates efficacy of statins in people with HIV
People living with HIV who take statins are less likely to experience cholesterol reductions and more likely to develop painful muscle damage as a...
Initiating ART reduces risk of bacterial infection in HIV+ patients
Immediate ART reduces the risk of several severe bacterial infections in HIV-positive people with high CD4 cell count, found a University College London study.
Initiating,...
HIV treatment might boost susceptibility to syphilis
The antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection might inadvertently be boosting gay/bisexual men’s susceptibility to the bacteria responsible for syphilis, Treponema pallidum, conclude...
Male hypogonadism frequent in young/middle-aged men on ART
Around one in six young and middle-aged HIV-positive men doing well on antiretroviral therapy (ART) had low testosterone levels, French investigators led by Marie...
Regular economic incentives improve ART adherence
The provision of regular low-value economic incentives can improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), according to research conducted in Uganda. People were eligible for...
Modification of US health guidelines on PrEP recommended
US federal health guidelines on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV transmission should be modified because current standards could miss some who should be...
More improvements than declines in liver fibrosis score with combination ART
Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) was associated with more improvements than declines in liver fibrosis score in HIV-infected patients with or without hepatitis coinfections, according...
Miscarriage and stillbirth risk increases in smokers with HIV
Smoking 'dramatically' increases the risk of pregnancy loss in HIV-positive women, US investigators report.
Researchers from the large Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) examined the...
Viral load rebounds in women who start Tx during pregnancy or postpartum
Approximately one-third of HIV-positive women who attain viral suppression after starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy experience a significant rebound in viral load in...
Viral suppression maintained after switch
Switching to a 2-drug regimen of dolutegravir plus rilpivirine maintained viral suppression among people on successful 3- or 4-drug antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a...
PrEP dramatically reducing new HIV infections, says London clinic
Increasing access to Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through online marketplaces appears to have at least partly contributed to a dramatic recent drop...
Use of raltegravir supported
The use of raltegravir in HIV-infected pregnant women was well tolerated and effective in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission, according to recent findings.