Marked reduction of HIV among circumcised adult men

First global study of real-world circumcision rollout conducted over 3-year period in South Africa amongst 110,000 adults shows a marked reduction (>60 percent) of HIV acquisition among circumcised adult men – Researchers presenting late breaking research on the final day of the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) have focussed on new studies in the field of circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral treatment. The IAS 2011 conference has been attended by over 5000 researchers, clinicians and community leaders since Sunday in Rome.

New drug development program for children with HIV AIDS

DNDi launches new drug development program to address treatment needs of children with HIV/AIDS – The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) announced the launch of a new drug development programme to address critical unmet treatment needs of children with HIV/AIDS. Because HIV transmission in young children has largely been eliminated in high-income countries due to effective prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions, little market incentive exists for pharmaceutical companies to develop antiretroviral (ARV) drugs adapted for children.

Roll out treatment as prevention now to stop HIV and AIDS

Roll out treatment as prevention now to stop HIV and AIDS — Lancet column calls for immediate expansion of global HIV strategy – The Lancet, a leading global medical journal, published an editorial comment today that emphasizes the critical role of expanding access to HIV treatment under a “Treatment as Prevention” strategy to stop the HIV pandemic.

HIV drugs may cause premature aging

Premature aging caused by some HIV drugs, study shows – Researchers revealed that a class of anti-retroviral drugs (NRTIs) commonly used to treat HIV can cause premature ageing, as the drugs damage DNA in the patient’s mitochondria. HIV-infected people treated with antiretroviral drugs sometimes show advanced signs of frailty and age-associated diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia at an early age.

HAART found effective for treating HIV infected children

HAART effective for treating HIV-infected children living in DRC – This observational cohort study, by Andrew Edmonds and colleagues, reports that treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) markedly improves the survival of HIV-infected children in Kinshasa, DRC, a resource-deprived setting. The findings presented suggest that HAART is as effective for improving the survival of HIV-infected children in a severely resource-deprived country (still recovering from civil war) as in more resource-privileged settings.

Developing possibility of a preventive vaccine against HIV AIDS

A study opens the possibility of developing a preventive vaccine against HIV/AIDS – The HIV epidemic is the largest in the world and represents one of the most serious public health problems, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Only 30% of the more than 10 million patients in need have the access to the antiretroviral treatment.

Antiretrovirals significantly reduces HIV transmission to partners

Treating HIV-infected people with antiretrovirals significantly reduces transmission to partners — Findings result from NIH-funded international study – Men and women infected with HIV reduced the risk of transmitting the virus to their sexual partners by taking oral antiretroviral medicines when their immune systems were relatively healthy, according to findings from a large-scale clinical study.

HIV infection may be a risk factor for heart failure

HIV Infection May Be a Risk Factor for Heart Failure – Patients with HIV infection without a prior history of coronary heart disease may be at a higher risk of developing heart failure, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Fighting HIV in South Africa should focus on couples

Fighting HIV in South Africa should focus on couples, study finds — Risky behaviors among HIV-positive members of long-term relationships concerns researchers – HIV-positive people in South Africa take almost as much risk in their behavior when they know their partner is HIV-negative or don’t know their status, as when they know their partner is already infected.

HIV infected at higher risk for bone fractures

Research suggests HIV-infected patients at higher risk for bone fractures — Study compared fracture rates among HIV patients with general US population – Low bone mineral density in HIV-infected patients is common and raises concerns about increased risks of fracture, revealed by researchers.

Health Newstrack