Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019693 (HIV)
 170,526 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Although levonorgestrel contraceptive implants have been available for over 15 years, innovations have only recently led to a wider choice. These new implants offer easier insertion and removal and other advantages depending on the type of progestin. Implants prevent pregnancy by several mechanisms, including inhibition of ovulation and luteal function and alteration of cervical mucus and the endometrium. The high efficacy and ease of maintenance make implants an ideal contraceptive for many women, including adolescents, a population that uses implants infrequently but reports high satisfaction. Implants are appropriate for women who are breastfeeding, who have contraindications to estrogen, or who have diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell anemia, or an HIV infection because implants have few metabolic or hematologic effects. Long-term use has not been associated with a decrease in BMD and generally leads to increased blood levels and iron stores. Women who wish to space their pregnancies appreciate the nearly immediate onset of action with insertion and the rapid termination of all effects with removal. All types of implants lead to menstrual changes and other side effects in some women. Adverse effects that occur in implant users more than the general population include headaches and acne. Women must be thoroughly counseled regarding the potential for menstrual alteration, side effects, and sexually transmitted infections if they do not use condoms. Despite their initial high cost, implants are a cost-effective method over several years, even when discontinued before the life of the implant.
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PMID:Implantable contraception. 1109 88

In most countries throughout the world, except those affected by the HIV-Aids epidemic, populations are increasing in size, rapidly getting older, and becoming more sedentary. This combination, along with the adoption of unhealthy habits such as cigarette smoking and consumption of an animal-based rather than a plant-based diet, will result in chronic degenerative diseases becoming the most common cause of disability and premature death throughout the world during the first twenty-five years of this new millennium. As more and more populations acquire the technology that reduces the need to exercise for transportation, occupation or maintaining a household, lack of activity quickly becomes a major risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension and noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus. This lack of activity appears to contribute to other disorders such as osteoporosis and selected site-specific cancers. In older persons, inactivity can become a major reason for loss of physical independence and a reduction in their quality of life. Public health approaches will be needed to reverse this trend of increasing "hypokinetic" diseases as the computer/communication revolution becomes worldwide. These public health programs will need to be supported by government and corporate changes in policies that provide time, facilities and incentives for maintaining an appropriately active life-style. The goal should be for all adults to perform at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise on most days.
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PMID:[Sports, exercise and health. On the way into a new century]. 1114 77

Maitake (Grifola frondosa) is the Japanese name for an edible fungus with a large fruiting body characterized by overlapping caps. It is a premier culinary as well as medicinal mushroom. Maitake is increasingly being recognized as a potent source of polysaccharide compounds with dramatic health-promoting potential. The most recent development is the MD-fraction, a proprietary maitake extract its Japanese inventors consider to be a notable advance upon the preceding D-fraction. The D-fraction, the MD-fraction, and other extracts, often in combination with whole maitake powder, have shown particular promise as immunomodulating agents, and as an adjunct to cancer and HIV therapy. They may also provide some benefit in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and hepatitis.
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PMID:Maitake extracts and their therapeutic potential. 1120 56

We present the case of a 30-year-old woman with HIV/AIDS who experienced a 47% weight gain over a period of a year after commencing treatment with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) and went on to develop benign intracranial hypertension (BIH). She was not on any other medication associated with BIH. Although weight gain has been reported in patients on treatment with protease inhibitors, such gains have been minimal to moderate. We are unaware of any previous report of this degree of weight gain or BIH in a patient on protease inhibitors.
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PMID:Rapid weight gain and benign intracranial hypertension in an AIDS patient on treatment with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). 1121 48

Three separate studies were undertaken in HIV-1 uninfected persons to determine if the adjuvant QS-21 improves the magnitude or kinetics of immune responses induced by recombinant soluble gp120 HIV-1(MN) protein (rsgp120) immunization. The QS-21 was administered at two doses (50 and 100 microg), either alone or in combination with aluminum hydroxide (600 microg). At the highest doses of rsgp120 (100, 300, and 600 microg), QS-21 exerted no significant effect on either binding or neutralizing antibody titers. Antibody binding and neutralizing responses fell dramatically when rsgp120, formulated with alum alone, was given at low doses (3 and 30 microg). In contrast, antibody responses similar in titer to those in the high dose antigen groups were induced with the low dose rsgp120 formulated with QS-21. In addition, the lymphocyte proliferation and delayed type hypersensitivity skin testing were superior in the QS-21 recipients compared with the alum recipients at the low antigen doses. Moderate to severe pain was observed in majority of the volunteers receiving QS-21 formulations, and vasovagal episodes and hypertension were not infrequent. Thus, the use of QS-21 may provide a means to reduce the dose of a soluble protein immunogen.
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PMID:QS-21 promotes an adjuvant effect allowing for reduced antigen dose during HIV-1 envelope subunit immunization in humans. 1122 80

Among the cardiomyopathies,--dilated cardiomyopathy (dcm), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy--, dcm is the most frequent entity. Its prevalence in the United States amounts to 36 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, men being almost 3-fold more involved than women. The etiology of dcm is very heterogenous; 50% of the cases are due to idiopathic dcm whereas the other half comprises a broad spectrum of various etiologies such as myocarditis, ischemic heart disease, peripartal cardiomyopathy, hypertension, HIV infection, toxic cardiomyopathy and others. In 20 to 30% of the cases of idiopathic dcm a genetic transmission of the disease has been found. Another 20 to 30% of idiopathic dcm are associated with inflammatory and immunological phenomena. Infectious myocarditis with enteroviruses, especially with coxsackie-virus type B has been suggested to be an important trigger for an immune-mediated dcm. In both, familiar dcm and infection with coxsackie-virus B, an impairment of constituents of the myocardial cytoskeleton has been shown. This is regarded as a possible pathogenetic mechanism in the development of dcm.
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PMID:[Epidemiology-etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy]. 1126 35

Our experience with other chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, has shown that adherence to treatment over time is about 50%. In HIV treatment, a significantly higher rate of adherence (i.e., 95% or greater) is required to achieve good outcomes. HAART is effective and cost-effective. Even with the high cost of antiretroviral drugs, the decrease in hospital utilization in addition to improved quality of life with HAART more than offsets the increased cost of drugs. This cost shifting from hospital utilization has been shown to result in a decrease of total monthly costs of care in many settings. In addition to decreased mortality and cost savings from decreased hospital utilization associated with HAART, the appropriate use of expensive antiretroviral drugs and the resultant reduction in antiretroviral resistance can save lives and money over the long term. However, we know that the performance of drugs in clinical trials is not always borne out in today's real world of ambulatory HIV care, underscoring the need for treatment adherence strategies in the HAART era. Our understanding of what improves adherence to antiretroviral treatment is still incomplete. However, there are a number of approaches that address the patient, the provider/multidisciplinary team, and the treatment regimen itself. The dedicated TAC, while not the only solution, has been shown to be an effective team member and a solution worth considering in managed care settings. When added to the costs of today's care, this team member should still prove cost-effective in the final analysis.
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PMID:Treatment adherence improves outcomes and manages costs. 1127 75

Exercise is important for HIV-positive people, but what type of exercise to use is still under debate in the scientific community. Scientific studies found that aerobic exercise increases CD4 counts. Scientists recommend aerobics at any stage of HIV infection. Start at an easy intensity level and do not disrupt the routine; stopping can suppress the immune system. Intensive exercise can also be immunosuppressive. Some cases of AIDS-wasting syndrome have been reversed using weight training and vitamins, antioxidants, or anabolic steroids. Some trainers believe that all cases of wasting can be reversed by this regime, as long as diarrhea is controlled and fever is not present. Aerobic exercise can actually be detrimental to HIV-positive patients because it increases the stress hormone, cortisol, which destroys muscle mass. Stretching exercises, such as yoga and tai chi, can reduce levels of cortisol. Another personal trainer advocates the use of anabolic steroids for HIV-positive people. Injectable steroids used with exercise work best, but exercise alone can also be beneficial for fighting depression, AIDS-related wasting, and high blood pressure. An unpublished scientific study found a temporary drop in neutrophils and monocytes, two kinds of white blood cells, after aerobic exercise. These scientists still recommend moderate exercise done at an individual pace.
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PMID:Don't just sit there. 1136 19

At an international think tank in Washington, D.C., HIV experts presented evidence showing that combination therapy used early in the course of infection has suppressed HIV in patients to undetectable levels. The new combinations are using older nucleoside analogues, such as zidovudine (AZT), lamivudine (3TC), and didanosine (ddI), and combining them with protease inhibitors or with nevirapine, a non-nucleoside analogue. This type of treatment has reduced the amount of virus to levels too low to be detected by the most sensitive tests in some individuals. AIDS researchers are hopeful that these combinations will turn HIV infection into a chronic, yet manageable, disease similar to hypertension and diabetes. Despite these developments, surveys and interviews indicate that many treatment providers have not changed their practices, either because they are not aware of the new data, or because they want more definitive studies before putting their patients at risk. Additionally, obstacles to these new therapies include patient compliance with the treatment regimen, adverse reactions to the combination therapies, and cost.
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PMID:Breakthroughs in HIV treatment not yet embraced by clinicians. 1136 53

The courts are divided on whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act apply to State prisoners. The debate of whether disabled inmates are entitled to the same programs and services as nondisabled inmates will be addressed in court cases in Alabama and Pennsylvania. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear Pennsylvania Department of Corrections v. [Name removed] to determine whether Federal disability-rights laws apply to State prisons. In the case, the inmate was denied access to a boot camp program because of his hypertension. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear [name removed] v. [Name removed], an Alabama case involving the question of whether mandatory HIV testing and segregation are permissible if it serves a prison's interests in protecting uninfected prisoners. Both cases have major implications for HIV-positive inmates.
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PMID:Two major prison cases poised for court review. 1136 93


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