Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.22.09) - Monday, October 26, 2009
Liz Highleyman
"For the last 10 years we've been so excited about therapy helping people live longer that we've gotten a bit selfish," said Dr. Steven Deeks of San Francisco General Hospital. "We now want people to live a normal lifespan with completely restored health, but we're not there yet."
Even effectively treated, HIV infection can persistently activate the immune system and ignite widespread inflammation. Antiretrovirals reduce this but cannot bring back the pre- infected state. Chronic low-grade inflammation in long-term HIV survivors appears to underlie many conditions associated with aging, Deeks said.
More research is focusing on these age-related conditions, which seem accelerated among some younger patients. The chronic conditions include cardiovascular disease, kidney impairment, non-AIDS cancers, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and frailty, said Matt Sharp, Project Inform's director of treatment and prevention advocacy.
HIV-positive people can prevent some diseases by quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting more exercise, and ending or reducing their use of alcohol and recreational drugs. "You don't need to join a gym to exercise, you just need to get your blood moving for 30 minutes a day," Sharp said. Anal Pap smears, colon cancer tests, and cholesterol screenings are also important, he added.
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