The figures also showed that rates of syphilis are far higher amongst gay men, and many of these men will have HIV.

It’s important to look after your sexual health. Sexually transmitted infections can be unpleasant, and some can make you very unwell if left untreated.

There’s also good evidence to show that they can increase the risk of HIV transmission. New research from South Africa involving men with HIV and genital ulcers showed that HIV was present in the ulcers of almost half the men. This study is discussed in more detail later

Sexually transmitted infections can increase the risk of HIV transmission to sexual partners – even if you have an undetectable viral load. Often, these infections don’t cause any obvious symptoms.

So if you’re sexually active, it makes good sense to have regular sexual health check-ups at a specialist sexual health (GUM) clinic. In the UK they are confidential and free of charge – you can look up your nearest clinic on our website.

And it’s good to know that properly used condoms provide excellent protection against HIV and most sexually transmitted infections.

Hospital admissions still high for people with HIV

American research has shown that hospital admission rates remain high for people with HIV.

Thanks to HIV treatment, many people with HIV can expect to live a near-normal lifespan.

The number of HIV-related deaths and hospital admissions fell dramatically after effective HIV treatment became available, but there’s some evidence that these have now stabilised.

HIV can still have a major impact on health, and increased rates of illnesses such as heart, kidney and liver disease have been seen in people with HIV. In addition, many people with HIV also have other serious infections, such as hepatitis B or C. Rates of smoking are also high among people with HIV, and this can increase the risk of some long-term health problems.

US researchers monitored the hospital admission rates for almost 2500 HIV-positive patients between 1999 and 2006.

Approximately a third were hospitalised at some point, and the rate of admission to hospital didn’t change over the course of the study.

Stomach problems and infections were major reasons for admissions.

But there were some indications that the reasons why people with HIV were being admitted to hospital were changing.

For example, the number of admissions because of heart disease went up. Liver disease caused by hepatitis C was also an increasingly important reason for people going into hospital, as was surgery.

The investigators found that people with a CD4 cell count above 350 – the current threshold for starting HIV treatment in the UK – were less likely to be admitted to hospital than those with a weaker immune system.

Taking HIV treatment was also shown to be associated with a reduced risk of admission to hospital.

For more information on going into hospital visit www.namlife.org.

HIV and bone health in boys

HIV-positive boys have lower bone mineral density than HIV-negative boys of a similar age, US researchers have found.

HIV has been associated with lower bone mineral density, which may possibly lead to an increased risk of fracture.

Some anti-HIV drugs can also affect bone density, so this can be monitored if you are taking HIV treatment.

Less is known about bone density and bone mineral content in HIV-positive children than in adults.

Therefore, researchers monitored bone density and mineral content in about 250 HIV-positive children and adolescents. The results were compared to those obtained from a control population of HIV-negative boys and girls of the same age.

The researchers found that by the time they reached mid-puberty, HIV-positive boys had significantly lower bone mineral density and content than HIV-negative boys.

However, no significant differences were seen in bone density or mineral content between HIV-positive and HIV-negative girls.

When the researchers looked at the impact of anti-HIV drugs on bone density, they found that taking nevirapine (Viramune) was associated with increased density, but that Kaletra(lopinavir/ritonavir) was associated with reduced density.

Many children with HIV are now living long and healthy lives thanks to antiretroviral therapy, and the long-term significance of this study’s findings aren’t clear. Regular check-ups can make sure that any health problems or treatment side-effects can be spotted early, allowing for the use of the most appropriate treatment.

Sexual health

HIV is often found in the genital ulcers of men, according to a study conducted in South Africa.

A number of studies have shown that there is a higher risk of HIV transmission if one or both sexual partners have genital ulcers.

Ulcers can provide a portal of entry for the virus, and the inflammation associated with them can result in the presence of a large number of CD4 and other immune cells which are targeted by HIV. In HIV-positive individuals, the virus may be present in the ulcers.

The latest research has shown that almost 50% of HIV-positive men with genital ulcers have detectable levels of HIV present in such ulcers.

A higher viral load, larger lesions, multiple ulcers, and weeping ulcers were all associated with an increased risk of HIV being detectable in genital lesions.

There’s been a lot of debate about the impact of HIV treatment on infectiousness.

There’s a consensus that antiretroviral therapy reduces levels of HIV in both the blood and genital secretions and that this can reduce the risk of HIV transmission.

The extent of this reduction is not certain.

However, it is agreed that viral load in genital secretions is increased by sexually transmitted infections.

This conclusion is supported by the current research.

One patient who was taking HIV treatment and who had an undetectable viral load in his blood nevertheless had detectable levels of HIV present in his genital ulcers.

For more information on transmission of HIV, visit the new transmission section of www.aidsmap.com .

HIV and travel

There was a lot of celebration when the US ended its HIV travel ban earlier this year.

But a small number of countries still forbid even short visits by people with HIV.

One such country is China and its entry restrictions hit the headlines last week when a visa was denied to an HIV-positive Australian author who had been planning to attend a literary festival and deliver some lectures.

Travellers planning a short visit to China have to sign a declaration saying that they are HIV-negative. Those planning longer stays are required to have an HIV test.

The country’s health ministry has been working to remove the ban in time for a trade expo in Shanghai this May.

But the latest events show that the ban is still in place and sometimes enforced.

You can find out more information about HIV entry restrictions and other useful tips if you are planning to travel on www.namlife.org.

HIV Treatments Directory

New: the HIV Treatments Directory (28th edition)

A complete reference guide to HIV treatment and medical aspects of HIV, with A to Z listings and an intuitive layout. Comprehensive information, and details of published research covering topics including:

• starting and changing treatment
• A to Z of antiretroviral drugs
• women’s health issues
• drug resistance
• drug interactions and pharmacokinetics
• HIV and genetics
• side-effects
• the immune system and HIV
• prevention of mother-to-child transmission

Plus a full-colour drug chart and CD-ROM.

To order your copy, please visit NAM’s online bookshop. Alternatively, call 020 7840 0050 or email info@nam.org.uk.

Anti-HIV drugs

A new edition of NAM’s booklet, Anti-HIV Drugs, is now available, covering information on each of the drugs currently licensed in the UK.

This comprehensive booklet is now available on aidsmap.com. The booklets in this series are available free to people living with HIV in the UK, or can be ordered through the aidsmap online bookshop for £1. Alternatively they can be read online, or downloaded as PDFs.

If you work in a clinic or support group in the UK, you can order these booklets for free for your clients and patients. Get in touch with Rose for details on 020 7840 0060 or by emailing rose@nam.org.uk.

About NAM

NAM is an award-winning, community-based organisation. We deliver reliable and accurate HIV information to HIV-positive people and to the professionals who treat, support and care for them.

We believe information helps people to make decisions about, and be in control of, their lives, health and treatment options. NAM is a UK registered charity number 1011220.

Find out more about NAM on our website: aidsmap.com.

For more details, please contact NAM

tel: +44 (0)20 7840 0050
fax: +44 (0)20 7735 5351
email: info@nam.org.uk
web: www.aidsmap.com

To unsubscribe from this email, please visit www.aidsmap.com/en/main/emailupdate.asp

Most people with HIV remain sexually active after their diagnosis.

But sexual problems are widespread.

A lot is known about sexual dysfunction in HIV-positive men, and now researchers have found that women with HIV are more likely to report sexual problems than their HIV-negative peers.

Support and help is available if you encounter problems with sex, so it’s worth mentioning it to a member of your healthcare team.

Smoking and lung cancer

Smoking is the only risk factor for lung cancer in HIV-positive women, US researchers have reported.

Rates of HIV-related cancers have fallen since effective HIV treatment became available.

But doctors have noted an increase in the rates of some other cancers, including lung cancer.

This cancer is still quite rare in people with HIV. However, researchers want to find out if those with HIV are at increased risk of developing it, and what its risk factors are.

They therefore looked at rates of lung cancer in women with or at risk of HIV. They then compared these rates to those seen in the general female US population.

Their analysis showed that rates of lung cancer did not differ between the HIV-positive and HIV-negative women in their study population.

However, the cancer rate for the women in the study was three times that seen in US women generally.

The women in the study were more likely to smoke than US women generally.

All the women who developed lung cancer were cigarette smokers, and the researchers found that smoking was the only risk factor for lung cancer.

A low CD4 cell count and increasing age were both associated with an increased risk of cancer for the women with HIV.

People with HIV should be given help to stop smoking, say the researchers.

You can find out more about smoking on namlife.org, NAM’s website for people with HIV.

Help to stop smoking will be available from your HIV clinic and GP.

The current issue of NAM’s HIV Treatment Update includes a feature article on smoking. HIV Treatment Update is available free to people living with HIV. Visit our online bookshop for more information.

Increases in viral load

Viral load increases in people taking HIV treatment are often preceded by physical or psychological symptoms, British researchers have found.

Modern HIV treatment is very effective and is able to suppress viral load to undetectable levels in most patients.

You’ll get the most benefit from your HIV treatment if you take it as prescribed. Missing doses can lead to viral load increasing, and in some cases the development of drug-resistant strains of HIV.

Researchers wanted to see if patients’ perceptions of their own health could be related to changes in viral load.

They therefore monitored 188 patients taking HIV treatment for the first time for an average of two years.

Viral load increased to detectable levels in about 20% of patients. The researchers found that the risk of this was significantly associated with physical and psychological symptoms.

The researchers speculate that such symptoms could indicate that patients are experiencing distress, which in turn could lead to poor adherence to HIV treatment.

If your HIV treatment is causing side-effects, then you should mention this to your HIV doctor. It’s good to know that it’s nearly always possible to do something about side-effects.

Similarly, if you are unhappy or depressed, it’s good to know that a lot of mental health support is available to people with HIV.

Sexual wellbeing

Many women with HIV have experienced some form of sexual dysfunction, US researchers have found.

The researchers asked approximately 1300 HIV-positive women and 500 HIV-negative women about their sexual function and satisfaction.

They found that women with HIV were less likely to report that they were satisfied with sex.

HIV was also found to be significantly associated with poorer sexual function.

Poor health, indicated by CD4 cell count, seemed be associated with lower levels of sexual functioning in women with HIV.

The researchers suggest that sexual wellbeing should be monitored in routine HIV care.

In the UK, the HIV support organisation Positively Women is also there to help. Their helpline is operated by women who are living with HIV, and can provide a good source of support and referral to other services. They can be contacted on 020 7713 0222.

Beliefs about infectiousness

A US study has found that HIV-positive people who believed that having an undetectable viral load meant they were less infectious were more likely to be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.

The impact of HIV treatment on infectiousness is a hotly debated topic.

HIV treatment reduces viral load in both the blood and sexual fluids. Very few infections are thought to be passed on from people taking HIV treatment who have a low, or undetectable, viral load.

There is real hope that increasing the number of people taking HIV treatment will help to control the pace of the epidemic.

But untreated sexually transmitted infections can increase viral load in genital secretions. And wider increases in HIV risk behaviours could offset the reductions in new infections that are achieved by increasing the number of people taking HIV treatment.

Now US researchers have found that those who believed that people with an undetectable viral load were not infectious were about 33% more likely to be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.

However, those diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection were just as likely to use a condom as those without such a diagnosis.

HIV Treatments Directory

New from NAM for 2010: the HIV Treatments Directory (28th edition)

A complete reference guide to HIV treatment and medical aspects of HIV, with A to Z listings and an intuitive layout. Comprehensive information, and details of published research covering topics including:

• starting and changing treatment
• A to Z of antiretroviral drugs
• women’s health issues
• drug resistance
• drug interactions and pharmacokinetics
• HIV and genetics
• side-effects
• the immune system and HIV
• prevention of mother-to-child transmission

Plus a full-colour antiretroviral drug chart and a fully searchable CD-ROM.

To order your copy, please visit NAM’s online bookshop. Alternatively, call 020 7840 0050 or email info@nam.org.uk.

Anti-HIV drugs

A new edition of NAM’s information booklet, Anti-HIV Drugs, is now available, covering information on each of the drugs currently licensed in the UK.

This comprehensive booklet is now available on aidsmap.com. The booklets in this series are available free to people living with HIV in the UK, or can be ordered through the aidsmap online bookshop for £1. Alternatively they can be read online, or downloaded as PDFs.

If you work in a clinic or support group in the UK, you can order these booklets for free for your clients and patients. Get in touch with Rose for details on 020 7840 0060 or by emailing rose@nam.org.uk.

Women and HIV:
Inner strengths

A study is investigating the inner strengths women use in coping with HIV. If you are an HIV-positive woman in the UK, you can help by visiting the research team’s website and filling in an online questionnaire. You do not have to give your name.

You can also request to have a questionnaire pack mailed to you or you can contact the lead researcher for more information.

This study is being conducted through Canterbury Christ Church University and has NHS ethical approval.

About NAM

NAM is an award-winning, community-based organisation. We deliver reliable and accurate HIV information to HIV-positive people and to the professionals who treat, support and care for them.

We believe information helps people to make decisions about, and be in control of, their lives, health and treatment options. NAM is a UK registered charity number 1011220.

Find out more about NAM on our website: aidsmap.com.

For more details, please contact NAM

tel: +44 (0)20 7840 0050
fax: +44 (0)20 7735 5351
email: info@nam.org.uk
web: www.aidsmap.com

To unsubscribe from this email, please visit www.aidsmap.com/en/main/emailupdate.asp

In this issue

• HIV and ageing
• Cardiovascular disease
• Saquinavir/ritonavir and heart rhythm
• Bone disease
• Brain impairment
• Kidney disease
• Long sentence in Scottish case

HIV and ageing

Much of the news in this edition of HIV Weekly is concerned with the diseases of ageing.

Rates of HIV-related illnesses have fallen dramatically since effective HIV treatment became available. Because of this, many doctors are now optimistic that many people with HIV will live a near-normal life span.

But there’s concern that HIV itself, and possibly some of the drugs used to treat it, can cause bone, cardiovascular, kidney and liver disease. These are illnesses that are often associated with ageing.

There’s much that can be done to reduce the risk and impact of many of these illnesses.

This includes:

• Regular clinic check-ups to monitor for early warning signs.
• Starting HIV treatment if your CD4 cell count is around 350, or earlier if you have risk factors for any of the diseases of ageing.
• Taking a combination of anti-HIV drugs that takes into account your medical history.
• Doing your best to lead a healthy life by not smoking, eating a good diet, and exercising.

Cardiovascular disease

HIV treatment that reduces viral load to undetectable levels can cut the risk of hardening of the arteries, a study has shown.

An important factor associated with diseases such as heart attack and stroke is the hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). The arteries generally harden as people age, but more rapid hardening has been seen in people with HIV.

But now US researchers have found that HIV treatment may help slow the progression of atherosclerosis.

They found that the arteries of people taking HIV treatment whose viral load was constantly below 400 hardened at a slower rate than patients whose viral load was higher.

Older age and being over-weight – both traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease – were associated with more rapid hardening of the arteries.

Saquinavir/ritonavir and heart rhythm

Medicine regulatory authorities in the US have issued a warning that the boosted protease inhibitor, saquinavir (Invirase) with ritonavir (Norvir), can cause disturbances in the rhythm of the heart.

They are cautioning that patients with heart rhythm problems, or who are taking other drugs that can cause an irregular heartbeat, should not use saquinavir/ritonavir.

If you are taking saquinavir/ritonavir and are concerned about this side-effect, it’s recommended that you to speak to your HIV doctor about your concerns.

You should not stop taking this drug without talking to your doctor first.

Bone disease

Both HIV itself and some of the drugs used to treat it – especially tenofovir (Viread, also in Truvada and Atripla) – have been associated with bone loss.

Bone loss often happens as people age and this can increase the risk of fractures.

Now two separate US studies have produced apparently contradictory results about the risk of fracture for people with HIV.

Most patients (79%) in the HOPS study were male, and researchers found that fractures were much more common amongst these HIV-positive patients than in the general US population.

Increasing age was identified as one of the factors associated with fracture. But so too were HIV-related characteristics, including a lowest-ever CD4 cell count below 200. Therefore, starting HIV treatment at the recommended level of 350 could potentially cut the long-term risk of bone problems and fracture.

However, separate research involving younger HIV-positive and HIV-negative women found that, although those with HIV had lower bone mineral density, this did not translate into an increased risk of fracture.

Brain impairment

Many people find the thought of HIV-associated brain impairment very frightening.

HIV-related dementia is now very rare, but some research suggests that milder forms of cognitive impairment are more common in people with HIV than in the general, age-matched population.

Now US researchers have found that patients whose lowest-ever CD4 cell count was below 50 have an increased risk of subsequently developing cognitive impairment.

Rates of cognitive impairment were lowest in patients who started HIV treatment when their CD4 cell count was 350 and above.

You can read more about HIV-related brain impairment in Issue 186 of HIV Treatment Update, available on our website.

Kidney disease

Untreated HIV can increase the risk of serious kidney problems, and one of the groups of people encouraged to start HIV treatment when their CD4 cell count is around 350 are those who have kidney disease or have other risk factors for it.

But some anti-HIV drugs have also been associated with kidney problems, most especially tenofovir (Viread, also in Truvada and Atripla), a drug that is widely used by people starting HIV treatment for the first time.

About 1 to 2% of people taking tenofovir develop kidney problems. Most research suggests that once treatment with the drug is stopped, kidney function quickly returns to normal.

In a newly published study, Australian researchers used a highly sensitive test, called estimated glomerular filtration rate, to measure kidney function and found that this doesn’t always happen.

This test showed that, in about 40% of patients, kidney function was still impaired over a year after treatment with tenofovir was stopped.

They found that patients who had a gradual decline in kidney function when taking tenofovir had the greatest risk of developing longer-term kidney damage.

The researchers recommend that patients taking tenofovir who develop kidney problems should quickly be changed to an alternative treatment.

Long sentence in Scottish case

A man has been sentenced to ten years in prison after infecting one female sexual partner with HIV, and for having unprotected sex without disclosure with three other women, none of whom contracted the virus.

The man was convicted of the Scottish offence of reckless and culpable behaviour.

HIV organisations have expressed alarm that the case has set a legal precedent in Scotland and that unprotected sex without disclosure, even if no HIV transmission occurs, can now be prosecuted.

In this BBC report, they point out faults in the logic of such a development.

About a quarter of all people with HIV are undiagnosed and therefore unable to disclose. Epidemiological evidence suggests that the source of many new HIV infections is people who are unaware that they have HIV, and that many of these individuals have only just been infected with HIV themselves.

The case has also been associated with some highly stigmatising press coverage.

In England and Wales, a prosecution can only be brought if a person knows that they have HIV, they do not disclose their status before having unprotected sex, and HIV transmission occurs.

If you have concerns about HIV transmission and the criminal law , a good place to seek support is THT Direct on 0845 12 21 200.

National AIDS Trust (NAT) has a trained group of HIV-positive volunteers called Press Gang who respond to inaccurate coverage of HIV in the media. For information about joining Press Gang, visit the NAT website.

Self-management courses

Are you HIV-positive? Would you like to improve your skills in managing your health and care? If so, and you live in South London, Terrence Higgins Trust is running several groups that can help, between now and June 2010. For more information on the Positive Self-Management Programme (PSMP) and the Newly Diagnosed Group (NDG), please email groupworklondon@tht.org.uk or call 020 7812 1773 to book a place.

HIV & Children

A new edition of NAM’s information booklet, HIV & Children, is now available. HIV & Children provides information about HIV treatment and care for HIV-positive children.

This comprehensive booklet is now available on aidsmap.com. Written for a UK audience, the booklets in this series are available free to people living with HIV in the UK, or can be ordered through the aidsmap online bookshop for £1. Alternatively they can be read online, or downloaded as PDFs.

If you work in a clinic or support group in the UK, you can order these booklets for free for your clients and patients. Get in touch with Rose for details on 020 7840 0060 or by emailing rose@nam.org.uk.

About NAM

NAM is an award-winning, community-based organisation. We deliver reliable and accurate HIV information to HIV-positive people and to the professionals who treat, support and care for them.

We believe information helps people to make decisions about, and be in control of, their lives, health and treatment options. NAM is a UK registered charity number 1011220.

Find out more about NAM on our website: aidsmap.com.

For more details, please contact NAM

tel: +44 (0)20 7840 0050
fax: +44 (0)20 7735 5351
email: info@nam.org.uk
web: www.aidsmap.com

• HIV treatment
• New ritonavir tablet approved
• 3TC and FTC not as equal as previously thought
• Mother-to-child HIV transmission
• Treatment for lipodystrophy looks safe and effective

HIV treatment

Before approval, every anti-HIV drug goes through a series of clinical trials to make sure that it’s safe and effective.

Clinical trials have shown that the HIV treatment combinations used today have a very powerful anti-HIV effect.

New research has provided reassurance that combinations found effective in clinical trials are equally effective among people who start these treatments during their routine care.

American researchers found that equal proportions of patients starting treatment as part of a trial and during everyday care had an undetectable viral load after a year.

Gains in CD4 cell count were also similar.

But many people receiving routine HIV care failed to attend clinic appointments. The researchers think that social problems and difficulty accessing health care may have contributed to this.

It’s very important that you go to your HIV clinic for regular check-ups. If you are entitled to free NHS care, then all the treatment and care you receive from the clinic will be free.

You can also choose which clinic you go to. For help finding an HIV clinic in the UK, you can contact the Terrence Higgins Trust helpline, THT Direct, on 0845 12 21 200. You can also look for clinics near you by visiting the organisations section of our website, aidsmap.com.

back to top ^

New ritonavir tablet approved

All the protease inhibitors recommended for use in HIV treatment have their anti-HIV effect boosted by a small dose of a second protease inhibitor called ritonavir (Norvir).

A new formulation of ritonavir has been approved for use in Europe. Unlike the older formulation of this drug, these 100mg pills don’t need to be kept in the fridge.

This heat-stable formulation is already used in the combination pill Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir).

The approval of the new formulation of ritonavir in Europe is an important step in making it available in other regions of the world, where a heat-stable version of the drug is especially needed.

3TC and FTC not as equal as previously thought

Most people starting HIV treatment do so with a combination that includes either 3TC (lamivudine, Epivir) or FTC (emtricitabine, Emtriva).

This drug is normally taken in a combination pill. In the case of 3TC, this is called Kivexa, and the drug is combined with abacavir.

FTC is available combined with tenofovir in a pill called Truvada.

It is also in a pill called Atripla where it is combined with tenofovir and efavirenz (Sustiva). This drug provides triple-drug HIV treatment in one pill, taken once a day.

But some people take a combination that includes 3TC and tenofovir. This combination isn’t very widely used because it involves taking two separate pills.

Researchers have found that people who take this combination, and experience an increase in their viral load, are more likely to develop resistance if treatment fails to control viral load than those who take FTC and tenofovir.

All the people in the study were taking triple-drug HIV treatment and had had an undetectable viral load for at least six months. But their viral load then increased.

Tests showed that people taking 3TC and tenofovir were more likely to develop resistance, which meant that 3TC (and probably FTC) would no longer work well against their HIV.

The researchers also found that it could lead to resistance to an important new drug in the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) class called etravirine (Intelence).

The researchers believe that their findings have implications for HIV care. They warn, “budget restrictions and the perception of a fundamental equivalence between 3TC and FTC may…lead to this possibly suboptimal prescription.”

Mother-to-child HIV transmission

HIV treatment during pregnancy, an appropriately managed delivery, and not breastfeeding can reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission to very low levels.

Thanks to these interventions, the rate of mother-to-child transmission in the UK and similar countries is very low – about 1%.

However, a very small number of transmissions do still occur when the mother has a low viral load – under 500 copies/ml.

French researchers have found some reasons why this might happen.

Their study involved women who took HIV treatment during pregnancy and had a low viral load (below 500) at the time of delivery. Nineteen of these women passed on HIV to their infants and 60 did not.

The researchers found that women who transmitted HIV to their infants had higher viral loads throughout pregnancy than the women who did not pass on HIV.

None of the women who transmitted HIV had a viral load below 500 for the entire duration of their pregnancy. However, 40% of women whose infants were HIV-negative had a viral load below this level throughout their pregnancy.

During the 30th week of pregnancy, 42% of mothers who passed on HIV to their infants had a viral load above 10,000 compared to only 11% of those who did not.

In addition, women who transmitted HIV were more likely to report adherence problems during pregnancy than those who did not.

To further reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission, the researchers emphasise the importance of controlling viral load throughout pregnancy and of good adherence to HIV treatment.

Treatment for lipodystrophy looks safe and effective

Some older anti-HIV drugs cause a collection of side-effects called lipodystrophy.

Often this involves the accumulation of hard, visceral fat around the abdomen.

Not only can this be distressing, but the accumulation of visceral fat has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Increased levels of such diseases have been seen in people with HIV.

A year-long study has shown that a drug called tesamorelin is a safe and effective treatment for visceral fat accumulation.

The study was a placebo-controlled trial.

Overall, visceral fat levels fell by 17.5% in people taking tesamorelin compared to only 1% in people taking the placebo.

Body shape also improved in people taking tesamorelin.

In addition, cholesterol levels fell in patients treated with tesamorelin.

The drug is awaiting formal approval in the US, and its trade name will be Egrifta.

News from CROI 2010

The 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections takes place in San Francisco this month.

NAM will be reporting from each day of this major scientific conference and you will receive email bulletins summarising key news.

You can incorporate aidsmap news from the conference into your own website or newsreader using our news feeds, or encourage colleagues and friends to sign up to receive the bulletins, free of charge.

The bulletin will also be translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Romanian.

HIV & Children

A new edition of NAM’s information booklet, HIV & Children, is now available. HIV & Children provides information about HIV treatment and care for HIV-positive children.

This comprehensive booklet is now available on aidsmap.com. Written for a UK audience, the booklets in this series are available free to people living with HIV in the UK, or can be ordered through the aidsmap online bookshop for £1. Alternatively they can be read online, or downloaded as PDFs.

If you work in a clinic or support group in the UK, you can order these booklets for free for your clients and patients. Get in touch with Rose for details on 020 7840 0060 or by emailing rose@nam.org.uk.

About NAM

NAM is an award-winning, community-based organisation. We deliver reliable and accurate HIV information to HIV-positive people and to the professionals who treat, support and care for them.

We believe information helps people to make decisions about, and be in control of, their lives, health and treatment options. NAM is a UK registered charity number 1011220.

Find out more about NAM on our website: aidsmap.com.

For more details, please contact NAM

tel: +44 (0)20 7840 0050
fax: +44 (0)20 7735 5351
email: info@nam.org.uk
web: www.aidsmap.com

To unsubscribe from this email, please visit www.aidsmap.com/en/main/emailupdate.asp