REVIEW: Balancing the options: A review of the new treatment journal Equilibrium

REVIEW: Balancing the options: A review of the new treatment journal Equilibrium

AIDS TREATMENT UPDATE, Issue 27 - March 1995
David Campbell-Morrison

Equilibrium promises to be a jolly good journal. It's a bound A5 booklet that seems to fill a niche between Body Positive newsletter (very good on benefits, events, self-help groups) and AIDS Treatment Update which is a bit more high tech with reviews of the latest treatment trends. The pilot issue has articles on diverse issues from treatment with anabolic steroids to an interview with Angus Dalgleish, Professor of Oncology at St George's Hospital. The interview with a leading scientist is a good feature, providing an insight into the thoughts of clinicians and scientists which tend to be reined in when they write articles for scientific journals which encourage an austere format with no space for conjecture. Neither of the other newsletters currently offers interviews. It may help to offer an introduction to the interviewee to provide a context to the interview.

The article on the use of anabolic steroids rather lacks balance. There are drawbacks as well as benefits to the use of these drugs, and the side-effects should be noted to allow readers to make up their own minds as to the pros and cons. Individuals need to take account of the fact that anabolic steroids can be converted into immunosuppressive steroids. Unfortunately also missing in the discussion is the phenomenon of "first pass loss" which describes the destruction of the steroid by the liver when it is taken by mouth, giving a variable absorption of the drug. To avoid this problem anabolic steroids are often given by injection. This is touched upon in one of the letters to the editor, which is another good feature.

There's also a lack of balance in the enthusiastic article on the use of cannabis for the control of nausea. Although I personally agree that cannabis is useful and use it to control intestinal cramps when taking antivirals, there should however be a mention of the debate on the possible immunosuppressive effects of cannabis and the impairment of short-term memory.

John Lynn has contributed an excellent article on vitamin supplements which includes the all-important information that it is possible to overdose on the oil-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. There is a useful little section on "Treatment Briefs" which offers a good synopsis of recent publications, including references to enable readers to find the papers if they so wish. John S. James, the editor of AIDS Treatment News from the USA, has contributed an interesting article on an extract of soya beans that may control Kaposi's sarcoma. I hope that Equilibrium will continue to commission articles from such knowledgeable sources.

An interesting article on "Foods for Healing" by Patrick Donnerlly based on oriental cuisine appears. It would be useful to have a small commentary on where to obtain some of these exotic ingredients in the UK. The local distributors of the books quoted are helpfully given. Also along the lines of oriental medicine is the rather interesting personal contribution by John Stevens on traditional Chinese medicine.

In summary, Equilibrium offers in-depth analysis of (especially) unorthodox therapies for HIV; I wish it a bright future.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscriptions to Equilibrium cost £10.00 for individuals or voluntary organisations and £35 for statutory organisations.

Individuals who are unable to pay at present can write and ask to be placed on the mailing list.

Write to: Equilibrium BM Equilibrium London WC1N 3XX

9503
ATU2707

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