Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Examines Long-Term Effects of Antiretroviral Drug Regimens
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday examined the long-term effects of antiretroviral drug regimens. Although antiretroviral drugs can lengthen the life span of people living with HIV/AIDS, taking the drugs for an extended period of time can increase the risk of developing certain diseases, according to the Journal Sentinel. Studies presented recently at the 11th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in San Francisco showed that HIV-positive people who had taken antiretroviral drugs for nearly 20 years were more likely to develop diabetes than the general population. In addition, they developed certain types of cancer, such as Hodgkin's disease and lung cancer, at higher rates and at earlier ages than the general population, according to the Journal Sentinel. Antiretroviral drugs may directly cause side effects that lead to health problems or may "magnify" a condition that is caused by HIV or that existed before an individual was infected, according to the Journal Sentinel. However, determining what side effects are linked to the drugs and what side effects are linked to HIV infection is difficult, the Journal Sentinel reports (Marchione, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/7). The complete article is available online.
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