AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, November 21 +- , 2005
Staff Medical Writers

"Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has positively altered the mortality rates in HIV-infected children, these drugs have the potential to cause significant morbidity.

"These drugs cause changes in fat distribution, lipid profiles, glucose homeostasis, and bone turnover," scientists in the United States report.

"The direct relationship between duration of drug exposure and increased risk of cardiovascular disease is particularly concerning for HIV-infected infants and children, who likely will have longer cumulative exposure to HAART.

"It is unclear whether the metabolic effects of decades of exposure would be reversible with cessation of therapy," said E.G. Leonard and colleagues at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland.

Researchers concluded, "The benefits of HAART in HIV infection are indisputable, but the impetus to find a cure or design more tolerable therapy is clear. Infarction may replace infection as the major cause of morbidity and mortality from HIV."

Leonard and colleagues published their study in Infectious Disease Clinics of North America (Antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected children: The metabolic cost of improved survival. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2005 Sep;19(3):713-29.

For more information, contact E.G. Leonard, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Division Pediatrics Infectious Disease & Rheumatol, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Mail Stop 6008A, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

Publisher contact information for the journal Infectious Disease Clinics of North America is: W B Saunders Co., Independence Square West Curtis Center, Ste. 300, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3399, USA.

Keywords: Cleveland, Ohio, United States, Pediatric AIDS, HAART Exposure, Cardiovascular Disease, Morbidity & Mortality, Drug Side Effects.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Leonard EG, McComsey GA, "Antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected children: the metabolic cost of improved survival", Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2005 Sep;19(3):713-29.

PubMED Related articles Search

051121
AW051108

Copyright © 2005 - Charles Henderson, Publisher. All rights Reserved. Permission to reproduce granted to AEGIS by Charles W. Henderson. Authorization to reproduce for personal use granted granted by C. W. Henderson, Publisher, provided that the fee of US$4.50 per copy, per page is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 27 Congress Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970, USA. Published by Charles Henderson, Publisher. Editorial & Publishing Office: P.O. Box 5528, Atlanta, GA 30307-0528 / Telephone: (800) 633-4931; Subscription Office: P.O. Box 830409, Birmingham, AL 35283-0409 / FAX: (205) 995-1588 http://www.newsrx.net

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright © 1980,2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.