NAPWA

HIV and your ticker

HIV has a residual inflammatory effect on your body so, over a lifetime, body organs like the heart have to work a little bit harder.

HIV also affects the body’s metabolism in ways that add to the risk of heart disease and some HIV treatments increase these underlying risks. These include increased cholesterolAn essential component of cell membranes and nerve fibre insulation, cholesterol is important for the metabolism and transport of fatty acids and the production of hormones and Vitamin D. Cholesterol is manufactured by the liver, and is also present in certain foods. High blood cholesterol levels have been linked to heart disease and may be a side effect of some anti-HIV medications. levels and blood fatsA type of fat in the blood. Elevated triglyceride levels may be a side effect of some anti-HIV drugs.. read more »

Once-daily raltegravir not as effective

Merck has terminated a trial comparing once-daily dosing against the currently recommended twice-daily dosing of raltegravir. read more »

Fiji outlaws HIV discrimination

Fiji has made it unlawful to discriminate against people with HIV.

The HIV/AIDS Decree 2011 was adopted by the government this month, winning praise locally and internationally.

Pacific Islands AIDS Foundation legal trainer and policy analyst, Laitia Tamata, says the decree represents years of hard work by many people to give PLHIVPerson (or people) Living with HIV. This term is now preferred over the older PLWHA. a legal avenue to challenge discrimination. read more »

HCV among positive gay men

The hepatitis C epidemic in positive gay men is being driven by both sexual transmission and injecting drug use, Australian research published in the online edition of ClinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. Infectious Diseases suggests. Both risk factors have been reported by HIV positive gay men newly diagnosed with the virusA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell.. read more »

PLHIV more adherent than average Australians

New findings from a survey conducted by the National Prescribing Service (NPS) have shed some light on how Australians are using and misusing medicines. read more »

Newer drug-resistant strains harder to transmit

Surveillance suggests that between 6 and 16% of patients newly-infected with HIV in Europe have contracted virusA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell. that is resistantHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant. to one or more anti-HIV drugs in the NRTIA type of anti-HIV drug that works by inhibiting a stage of the HIV life cycle called reverse transcription. Non-nucleosides work in a similar way, but are chemically different., NNRTI or protease inhibitorA type of anti-HIV drug that works by preventing the production of an enzyme, protease, that HIV needs to replicate. classes. read more »

Alcoholism drug may flush out reservoirs

Aside from making people feel terrible when they drink, a drug used for years to treat alcoholism, Antabuse, apparently also has the ability to activate immune cells.

Whether it can activate latently infected cells and make them vulnerable to HIV treatment and the immune system is not yet known, but that is what a small US study seeks to understand. read more »

Sculptra: an update

Following the successful listing of Sculptra (poly-L-lactic acid) on the PBS[Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme] The federal government program which subsidises medication costs in Australia. Anti-HIV drugs are part of a special part of the PBS called Section 100 (S100) which is used for expensive, highly specialised drugs. in 2009, many people eligible for the treatment have been eagerly awaiting the listing of an item number to help cover the costs of the procedure.

While the recommendation to list the procedure was made in February last year, there is still no progress on finalising this on the Medicare Benefits Schedule. read more »

Questioning online health information

With around 80% of Australians claiming that they search online for health information, the NPS has developed five questions you should ask to help you decide if the medical or health information you find on the internet is accurate, unbiased and up to date. read more »

Reviewing the global response

Late last year, The United Nations General Assembly called for a High Level Meeting to take place in June this year to review of the progress achieved so far and to promote the continued engagement of leaders in a comprehensive global response to HIV. read more »

New NNRTI put on hold

ViiV Healthcare has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDAThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of all drugs, biologics, vaccines, and medical devices, including those used in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of HIV infection, AIDS, and AIDS-related opportunistic infections. The FDA also works with the blood banking industry to safeguard the nation's blood supply. The Australian equivalent is the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).) has placed a hold on the development of their new non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), GSK-761. read more »

Unlawful intentions

Adrian Ogier tries to makes sense of the HIV criminal cases currently before the courts. read more »

Gentle exercise

“Moving with the breath to free the body” is how she describes her yoga practice. Vicky Fisher provides us with a gentle beginner’s guide. read more »

Us and them

As someone who has experienced it, Mia Dawson thought she knew what HIV stigma was all about.

Before I sat down to write this, I was pretty sure I knew what he was going to talk about. I mean, most of us living with HIV have experienced stigma at some point? You know... the ‘us and them’ syndrome. read more »

What's Your Problem?

What's Your Problem?

Doctor Louise answers readers' questions. In this issue she discusses Hepatitis C infection and unprotected sex. read more »