Latest Misconceptions about HIV and AIDS Stories

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is feasible for HIV-infected patients, with no differences in post-transplant survival or HCC recurrence rates compared with liver transplantation for HCC in HIV-uninfected patients. The study, published in The Oncologist, was led by Dr. Fabrizio Di Benedetto, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy, and represents the largest multicenter study of liver transplant for HCC in...

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports - Your Universe Online Every American between the ages of 15 and 65 should be screened for HIV, even those not at high risk, said the influential US Preventive Services Task Force on Tuesday. Citing recent evidence that HIV infections are best managed when caught and treated early, the panel of medical experts made its recommendation as part of its final statement on HIV screening. The new guidelines seeks to address one of the most important...

Antiretroviral therapy does not affect resting energy expenditure among women with HIV, according to Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics report Studies have shown that about 10 percent of men infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have an elevated resting energy expenditure (REE). Their bodies use more kilocalories for basic functions including circulation, body temperature, and breathing. Most studies have been conducted in men and those with solely women have had...

In South Africa, people with HIV who start treatment with anti-AIDS drugs (antiretroviral therapy) have life expectancies around 80% of that of the general population provided that they start treatment before their CD4 count drops below 200 (cells per microliter), according to a study by South African researchers published in this week's PLOS Medicine. These findings are encouraging and show that with long-term treatment, HIV can be managed as a chronic illness in middle- and low-income...

More frequent screenings would be cost-effective for high- and low-risk groups Early HIV treatment can save lives as well as have profound prevention benefits. But those infected with the virus first must be identified before they can be helped. In a new study, two Northwestern University researchers report that current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HIV screening guidelines are too conservative and that more frequent testing would be cost-effective in the long run for...

Home Access Health Corporation Issues Call for Increased Testing for American Women and Girls HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., March 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- American women and girls will make up nearly a quarter of all new HIV infections in the United States this year, providing a stark reminder that increased HIV testing can save lives, Home Access Health Corporation, the leading manufacturer of at-home laboratory services, said today. "According to the Centers for Disease Control and...

1. Research Results Show Current CDC HIV Screening Guidelines Are Too Conservative and Not Cost-Effective 2. Study Says Heavy Drinking Leads to Increased HIV Risk for Men Who Have Sex with Men The results of two important studies have been published in the March issue of AIDS, the official journal of the International AIDS Society. One study notes that screening for HIV should be performed more frequently—up to every three months for the highest-risk patients, while low-risk groups to...

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online AIDS research has come a long way since the disease was first clinically discovered in 1981 and officially named by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1982. And although many hurdles had been overcome in the prevention and treatment of the world’s deadliest sexually-transmitted infection (STI) over the past thirty years, no real cure had ever been found. That is until today. Unveiling their landmark...

Earlier therapy enhances restoration of CD4+ T-cell counts Patients who are started on antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 infection within four months of estimated infection date — and who have higher counts of CD4+ T-cells at the initiation of therapy — demonstrate a stronger recovery of CD4+ T-cell counts than patients in whom therapy is started later, a new study shows. The report, to be published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine, is co-authored by physicians of UT...

Findings emphasize importance of patient counseling to stop smoking in integrated HIV care Among HIV patients receiving well-organized care with free access to antiretroviral therapy, those who smoke lose more years of life to smoking than to HIV, according to a Danish study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online. The findings highlight the importance of smoking cessation efforts in the long-term, integrated care of patients infected with HIV. Marie Helleberg,...