HIV Treatment Interruption Associated with Reduced Bone Loss in SMART Trial

People who stopped antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the SMART trial had less bone loss and lower levels of bone metabolism biomarkers than people who remained on continuous treatment, according to a report in the January 8, 2013, advance edition of Journal of Bone Mineral Research.

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Bacterial Meningitis Outbreak among HIV Positive Gay Men in New York

New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) last week announced that it is investigating a cluster of cases of invasive meningococcal disease over the past 2 years involving 12 men who have sex with men, a majority with HIV, of whom 4 have died.

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Higher Dose Flu Vaccine Works Better for People with HIV

HIV positive people who received a quadruple dose of a trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine produced more protective antibodies without a significant increase in side effects, researchers reported in the January 1, 2013, Annals of Internal Medicine.

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ICAAC 2012: Bone Loss Is Common in French HIV Cohort, Linked to Older Age and Lower Weight

As many as half of people with HIV may have some degree of bone loss -- and up to 20% may experience fractures -- but no other significant risk factors could be determined other than older age and low body mass index, researchers reported at the 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2012) this month in San Francisco.

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FDA Approves Diarrhea Drug Crofelemer for People with HIV/AIDS

On December 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved crofelemer (brand name Fulyzaq) for treatment of diarrhea in people with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART) -- the first approved medication for this indication.

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ICAAC 2012: Are Statins Beneficial for Patients with Candida Fungal Infections?

Use of statin drugs to manage elevated cholesterol in people at risk for cardiovascular disease may also reduce short-term mortality among people with Candida fungal infections, perhaps due to their immunomodulatory properties,according to a study presented at the 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2012) this week in San Francisco.

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Working Group Releases Guidelines for Improved Care of HIV-associated Cognitive Impairment

All people with HIV should be screened for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders soon after testing positive, and those with evidence of impairment should be monitored regularly, according to international consensus guidelines developed by the Mind Exchange Working Group published in the November 28, 2012, advance edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Beyond antiretroviral therapy (ART), however, there are limited options for managing neurocognitive problems.

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ICAAC 2012: Progression of Anal Neoplasia is Common among Gay Men with HIV

Nearly 40% of HIV positive men with low-grade anal neoplasia may progress to high-grade neoplasia or anal cancer, according to a Spanish study presented at the 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) this week in San Francisco. Younger age and shorter duration of HIV infection were risk factors for worsening disease.

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Coverage of 11th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 11th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection (HIV11), November 11-15, 2012, Glasgow, Scotland.

Conference highlights include experimental antiretroviral drugs, ART strategies, manging side effects, HIV-related non-AIDS conditions, treatment as prevention and PrEP, HIV/HCV coinfection, and the search for a cure for HIV.

Full listing by topic

HIVandHepatitis.com HIV11 conference section

11/17/12

Coverage of the 2012 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), San Francisco, September 9-12, 2012.

Topics highlighted this year include experimental antiretroviral drugs, complications related to HIV and its treatment, recent developments in hepatitis C therapy, cancer caused by HPV, influenza, tuberculosis, and STDs.

Full listing by topic

HIVandHepatitis.com ICAAC 2012 conference section

Speed of Processing Training Can Improve Cognitive Function for People with HIV

Completing 10 hours of exercises designed to enhance mental processing speed led to improvements in cognitive functioning for middle-aged and older people with HIV and increased their ability to carry out daily tasks, researchers reported in the November 2012 Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. 

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Coverage of 2012 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy -- better known as ICAAC -- in San Francisco, September 9-12, 2012.

Topics highlighted this year include experimental antiretroviral drugs, complications related to HIV and its treatment, recent developments in hepatitis C therapy, and cancer caused by HPV, along with a gamut of other infectious diseases including influenza, tuberculosis, and STDs.

Full listing by topic

HIVandHepatitis.com ICAAC 2012 conference section

9/11/12

CDC Recommends Pneumococcal Vaccine Combo for Immune Compromised People

Immunocompromised individuals, including people with HIV, should receive both the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Prevnar 13 and the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine Pneumovax 23 to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive disease, according to the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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ICAAC 2012: HIV+ People Have Heart Attacks Younger, Receive Later Care, Die More Often

People with HIV had heart attacks at a younger age than HIV negative individuals and were about 50% more likely to die after an acute myocardial infarction, according to a study presented this week at the 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2012) in San Francisco. A related analysis found that HIV positive people received coronary catheterization at a later stage, after they had more advanced heart damage.

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Methadone Use Reduces Risk of HIV Infection among Injection Drug Users

Methadone maintenance therapy is associated with a lower risk of HIV infection among people who inject drugs, though this may be attributable in part to differing behavior among people who do and do not seek treatment for addiction, according to a report in the October 3, 2012, British Medical Journal.

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ICAAC Meeting Underway in San Francisco -- HIV, HCV, HPV, Flu, and More

The 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy -- better known as ICAAC -- opened Sunday, September 9, at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

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HIV Is a Major Contributor to Increase in Anal Cancer among U.S. Men

Increased incidence of anal cancer during the past 3 decades among men in the U.S. has been strongly influenced by the HIV epidemic, although a similar association was not observed for women, researchers reported in the October 5, 2012, advance edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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AIDS 2012: HIV+ Men Prone to Bone Fractures at Earlier Age

HIV positive men in the long-running MACS cohort appeared to sustain osteoporosis-related bone fractures at an earlier age than HIV negative men, researchers reported at the recent XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC. A related study found several factors that predict greater risk of fractures, including use of protease inhibitors and proton pump inhibitors.

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Efavirenz Metabolism May Damage Neurons, Contribute to Neurocognitive Problems

Metabolites produces during processing of the widely used NNRTI efavirenz (Sustiva, also in the Atripla combination pill) can reach high levels in the brain, which can be toxic to neurons and interfere with cell signaling, according to a report in the September 19, 2012, online edition of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

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Compounds in Chocolate and Green Tea May Protect against HIV-related Cognitive Impairment

A set of compounds related to epicatechin, a flavonoid found in cocoa and green tea leaves that easily crosses the blood-brain barrier, can protect against brain cell injury and death caused by HIV proteins in the laboratory, researchers reported in the August 11, 2012, online edition of Journal of NeuroVirology.

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