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CROI: Elevated Blood Pressure Linked to Heart Attack Risk in HIV+ People

HIV positive people with elevated blood pressure are at higher risk for myocardial infarction, or heart attack, even if they do not meet the definition for high blood pressure, researchers reported at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) this month in Seattle.

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CROI: Uncontrolled HIV Linked to Faster Lung Function Decline

People with detectable HIV viral load and advanced immune deficiency are likely to experience greater decreases in lung function over time, with high viral load linked to more impairment than smoking, according to a study presented last week at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) last week in Seattle.

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CROI: Metformin, Statins, and ACE Inhibitors May Reduce Cardiovascular Risk of People with HIV

The diabetes drug metformin can help stall progression of calcium build-up in the arteries of HIV positive people with metabolic abnormalities, potentially reducing their risk of cardiovascular events, researchers reported this month at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) in Seattle. Other studies found that statin drugs showed a trend toward lowering the risk of non-AIDS events and death, and an ACE inhibitor reduced blood pressure and certain inflammation biomarkers.

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CROI: Electrocautery Superior to Imiquimod or 5-Fluorouracil for Treatment of Anal Neoplasia

Electrocautery was shown to be more effective and tolerable than topical imiquimod or 5-fluorouracil as a treatment for anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) in HIV positive men who have sex with men (MSM), researchers reported in a late-breaker presentation at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) last week in Seattle.

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Coverage of the 2012 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections

HIVandHepatitis.com's complete coverage of the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012), March 5-8, 2012.

Featuring new HIV drugs, HIV cure research, biomedical prevention, HIV-related conditions and complications, basic science, hepatitis C, and HIV/HCV coinfection.

Full listing by topic

HIVandHepatitis.com CROI 2012 section

Current HIV Protease Inhibitor Use Not Linked to Sudden Death or Stroke, but Cumulative Exposure Ups Risk

Current or recent use of HIV protease inhibitors was not associated with a significantly increased likelihood of sudden death or a first ischemic stroke among participants in the D:A:D cohort, according to a report in the February 2012 Journal of Infectious Diseases. Longer total cumulative use, however, did appear to raise the risk.

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CROI: HIV Brain Impairment: Who Gets It, and Why?

A number of papers at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2012) last week in Seattle presented advances in research on HIV-related brain impairment and neurocognitive problems.

A couple of problems have dogged research into HIV-related brain impairment. One is how to differentiate between degrees of severity. Psychological tests can detect barely noticeable slowing of performance but the high prevalence of this asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI) overestimates the proportion of people with HIV who have real difficulty with working or daily life. We also do not know to what extent ANI is a predictor of the development of significant impairment, because some people improve, especially with antiretroviral treatment (ART).

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Conflicting Data on Bone Fracture Link to HIV Meds

Overall, use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) appears to be associated with a decreased likelihood of bone fractures among people with HIV, but whether specific drugs such as tenofovir increase the risk, reduce the risk, or have a variable effect over time remains unclear based on conflicting data reported in the February 1, 2012, advance online edition of AIDS.

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