Are you unsure when to use a snowblower while the snow is wet? Frustration, equipment damage, and sometimes even finger…
It is important to pick out the right freshwater plant for the aquarium that determines the source to substrate the…
Due to the pandemic, people’s access to go out and work in an office was canceled. Their work got shifted…
HIV Treatment Study in Haiti Reveals Benefits of Early Treatment
As Haiti continues to grapple with the aftermath of the Port-au-Prince earthquake, much of the news media has focused on other stories as the acuity of the crisis has passed. However, before the earthquake, Haiti had attracted a large amount of attention from health care professionals who hoped to make a difference in the lives of poor Haitians with medical conditions. The relatively high prevalence rate of HIV in Haiti also presents an opportunity to study how HIV/AIDS treatment could be brought to a resource poor nation.
Although the population of Haiti is only 10 million, the lessons learned there could inform public health researchers about the possible pitfalls of treating HIV positive patients in a resource poor setting.
Recently, a study published in the New England Journal of medicine looked at looked at the clinical effects of giving HIV positive patients, who have the CD4 count above 200 and below 350, antiretroviral medication. Normally, HIV positive patients in Haiti would only receive antiretroviral medication have they develop the symptoms of AIDS or had a CD4 count less than 200. However, the HIV patients with a CD4 count between 200 and 350 have active viral replication which suppresses their CD4 count below the normal range of 500 to 1500.
The study was completed between 2005 and 2008, and thus was not affected by the recent earthquake. Previous studies had hinted that earlier initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV/AIDS patients would allow them to live longer. This is because it is now believed that HIV may begin damaging the human body from the first week of infection, and that the earlier treatment is initiated then the earlier the virus can be suppressed to low levels.
The results of this study showed that the early initiation of antiretroviral treatment in HIVAIDS patients with a CD four count between 200 and 350 in Haiti reduced deaths by 75% and reduce the incidence of tuberculosis by 50%. This finding is important as it shows that earlier initiation of treatment for HIV patients decreases mortality as well as prevents cases of tuberculosis. Worldwide, it is believed that increasing prevalence of HIV infection is a factor which pushes up the number of tuberculosis cases reported each year. This is because immune suppressed patients, such as those who are HIV positive, are more likely to become infected with tuberculosis.
In addition, the findings may indicate that the initiation of early treatment in resource for setting such as Haiti, where malnutrition and chronic infectious diseases are common, maybe even more effective than in more developed countries.
What will this mean for the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients?
Some infectious disease specialists in the United States are now recommending that their patients began antiretroviral treatment as soon as they learn that they are HIV positive. Although this is not universally recommended, this present study in Haiti will encourage earlier treatment for HIV positive patients, especially in developing countries.
However, a big question will be whether or not the Obama administration, and other donor parties, will step up to provide the funds they would be required to treat more HIV positive patients. Whether or not this happens, the best standard of care for HIV positive patients in resource settings with CD4 counts between 200 and 350 appears to be the initiation of antiretroviral therapy.
HIV Cure
What kinda world do we live in? You dont know? Well let me tell you, we live in a world where doctors and scientist do research and studies to find cures for disease.And i find out today that doctors have made a shockin break thru they have cured a man of AIDS and this man has been cured for almost 2years. Now lets look at the other side………… this man not to sound racist but he was a white man meaning that doctors and scientist and are walkin around with cures in their back pockets and theafrican americans dont mean anything.I bet your wondering why i am mad well I’m not mad? I’M HURT….. why? Because i had to lose my little brother to that disease a year ago meaning that all the while they are out there curing whites, asian, koreans and hispanics my little brother had to die. Im sittin here tryin my best to understand what, what is it that he did so bad that the doctors that called themselves caring for him could not give him this so called cure? And i would still have my brother.Why am i sittin here hurting while another family is happy and satisfied? I’ll never talk to him again,I’ll never get to tell him to his face that i love him again I’ll never get to hug my baby brother again.All I wanna know is what kinda world do we live in that they could be so cruel all I want all i have wanted for a year now is for my little brother to call me one more time and say to me “Hey sis what chu doin?” “When you get your place can i come live with you”? and I tell him “And you know you can” with no hesitation.All i want is to be able to go to my moms house one more time and he and i can be in seperate rooms and still laugh at the same dumb stuff.These fakes these phonies stole my brother’s life from me they stole his smile his joy his happiness.I cant believe i live in such a cruel world.
A world where the single out some and help and satisfy others, I never ask for much but that is one thing in this world that i would give until this very day I would give just about anything to have my little brother in my arms one more time. I want to laugh with him again I want to be able to tell him all my problems and have him help me give me advise, I used to always say he was you ng but wise Its 2009 world and he died July 13th 2007 and I still…..still cry for him sometimes…
I miss you Alan Art Morton IIINovember 5th 1988-July 13th 2007
HIV Cocktail Therapy Includes Crixivan
For adults who live with the health complications associated with HIV, the variety of treatment options can be quite overwhelming. With many medications and treatment options offered by your healthcare team, it is easy to become confused in what HIV treatments should be used and at what time in the progression of your immunodeficiency disorder.
If you have been diagnosed with HIV, it is important to speak with your healthcare professional about the treatment options available, including the use of medications that can slow the progression of the HIV virus. Using an FDA approved medication in the right combination and at the right time, many complications associated with HIV can be slowed in progression.
An FDA approved drug known as Crixivan may provide some therapeutic benefit in your management of HIV. Manufactured by MerckĀ amp; Co., adults who have been diagnosed with HIV are finding significant improvements in their health status, with a healthier management over the virus that causes AIDS.
While there are many medications available on the market today, as an HIV patient it is important to know what prescription drugs are beneficial to your overall health, specifically those that work as a monotherapy and those that work as cocktail drugs. If your physician feels Crixivan is the best option for the management of your HIV infection, the dosing will usually be recommended as a cocktail drug. This is to say, the use of Crixivan is often mixed with other therapeutic agents. Dosing is generally recommended as 800 milligrams, every eight hours. As a benefit to you, that dosing of 800 milligrams is generally provided in two-400 milligram capsules.
For optimal health outcomes, the use of Crixivan should occur within one to two hours of meal consumption. Ideally, the dosing should be administered with a light meal and fluids ranging from water to tea, coffee or milk. If you take Crixivan with a high calorie meal, you are at-risk for reduced effectiveness.
For HIV patients with a pre-existing history of diabetes mellitus, the use of Crixivan, in managing your HIV infection, many not be indicated. In addition, Crixivan has been associated with the development of new cases of diabetes mellitus. As a result, your physician should carefully manage your diet, exercise and blood glucose levels while using this therapy for your HIV infection.
If you suffer from complications involving kidney function or complications of the genitalia while using Crixivan, this may be indicative of an allergic reaction for which immediate medical attention is required. In addition, anemia is quite common while using Crixivan and, as a result, should be carefully managed while on the daily HIV therapy.
As with any form of treatment involving HIV therapy, it is important to speak with your healthcare professional regarding treatment options and how best to manage and slow the progression of the virus. In the case of HIV, ask your physician about the cocktail dosing of Crixivan as another effective form of therapy for HIV patients.
HIV / AIDS in America
HIV/AIDS Overview
HIV is the Human Immune deficiency virus; AIDS is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is a collection of symptoms and infections caused by HIV. Since the 1980’s HIV/AIDS has been running rampant not just across the World, but also in America.
In 1999 an estimated 39,551 people had AIDS. In 2003, that number jumped to 41,831. The number of people testing HIV positive was somewhere between 1,039,000 and 1,185,000. Approximately 24% of the people who were HIV positive were undiagnosed and unaware that they were living with this disease. Because they were unaware and undiagnosed, it is more likely that they could spread the disease.
Risk by Transmission
HIV/AIDS can be, and is, transmitted a number of ways; unprotected homosexual or heterosexual sex (including anal, oral and vaginal), injection (or intravenous) drug use, perinatal transmission (mother to child) and in rare occurrences, blood transfusions. All of these transmissions have one thing is common; the sharing of bloodily fluids (i.e. semen, blood, ect.).
Male to male sexual contact is the leading transmission HIV/AIDS. In 2005 it was estimated the 454,106 men had contracted HIV/AIDS from male to male sexual contact (anal or oral sex).
High risk heterosexual sex, meaning heterosexual sex with a person known to have, or be at high risk for, HIV infection, came in second, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at 164,850. High risk heterosexual sex affected more women than men, at about a 6-4 ratio.
Injection drug use, although high in numbers, is second from the bottom on the list. In 2005, an estimated 8,985 people were infected by AIDS by using injection drugs. Injection drug use affected more men than women, in 2005, at a ratio of about 65-35.
Perinatal and blood transfusions fall into the “Other” category, along with hemophilia and not identified. The “other” category has the fewest number of estimated AIDS cases in 2005. An estimated 540 people were infect with AIDS, in 2005, by “other” means. Men were affected slightly more than women in this category, but not by a lot.
Risk by Race or Ethnicity
In 2005, Black, non-Hispanics were the racial group with the largest estimated AIDS population at 18,510. White, non-Hispanics were close behind them at 11,758. Hispanics estimated AIDS population was at 6,944. Asian/Pacific Islanders were a mere 429. However, American Indians/Alaskan Natives had the fewest estimated AIDS cases in 2005, at a measly 198.
Risk by Area
In 2005 the 10 states, or dependant areas, reporting the highest number of cumulative AIDS case were: New York, at 172,377, California at 137,019, Florida at 100,809, Texas at 67,227, New Jersey at 48,431, Illinois at 32595, Pennsylvania at 31,977, Georgia at 30,405, Maryland at 29,116 and Puerto Rico at 29,092.
Death from AIDS
It is estimated that in 2005 the number of people that died from AIDS or AIDS related issues in the United States was 17,011. That is more than 40% of the people in the United States that had AIDS in 2005.
Healthy, Fast, and Delicious Breakfasts
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it’s all too tempting to start your day off on the wrong dietary foot. Sugary cereals, buttery pastries, and greasy bacon may all tempt you go astray, but I’m here to tell you, there are easy, healthy options that will give you the energy you need for a great day.
Natural Peanut Butter on Whole Wheat Toast
Empty carbohydrates are rightly out of vogue at the moment for their low nutritional value and high glycemic impact, but whole wheat bread is packed with complex carbohydrates, which take longer for your body to digest, meaning you burn more calories doing so, and the energy stays with you for longer, delineated like an IV drip of good nutrition.
The variety of peanut butter you choose is critical to the healthiness of this breakfast. Many peanut butters, while tasty, are loaded up with more high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils than you can shake a stick at, meaning they’ll be packed with sugar and trans fats(the particularly nasty kind of fat.) Look for a natural brand with no added sugar or preservatives. It’ll still have a hardy and delicious nutty flavor, but now you can enjoy it guilt free, and your body will thank you.
Just throw a piece of whole wheat bread in the toaster while you get ready. Once it pops, spread on a tablespoon or two of peanut butter and you’ve got a breakfast with all the minerals, nutrients, vitamins, and energy a person needs. Word to the wise though, be careful with your portions when it comes to the peanut butter. It’s pretty calorically dense, so if you’ll excuse the horrible pun, don’t go nuts.
Cereal
I know I opened up this article with a bit of a demonization of our fine boxed friend, but not all cereal is bad. In fact, there are many cereal options that will taste good, give you that satisfying crunch, and keep you feeling healthy.
Finding a healthy cereal with the taste that’s right for you is the real key here. No one’s going to be happy if they start off their day eating a big bowl of something they hate. Look for whole-grain options that have as much fiber and protein as possible as well as very low sugar and fat content. Fiber and protein both keep you feeling fuller for longer and give you lots of energy. The brand I’ve found to not only have the best specs, but also consistently delicious is anything in Kashi’s “GoLean” line. Just top it off with a bit of skim milk and you’re ready to go.
Now the easy factor for preparing cereal is pretty much legendary, but I do have to give one more nagging reminder. Just like everything in life, moderation is important. After all that label-reading you did selecting a healthy brand of cereal, it’d be a silly thing to go and eat three times the serving suggestion, then declare it healthy. If it says a cup, dust off a cup and measure it out. It may seem excessive, but you’ll thank yourself when you’re feeling light and healthy after avoiding overeating.
Yogurt Parfait
When trying to stay healthy dairy often gets kicked to the curb. This however, should not be the case. Today we have many low or even no fat dairy options, and studies show that they can actually assist weight loss as well as supplying you with all the often-neglected calcium your body needs.
Look for a brand of Yogurt that has the right balance or low fat and low sugar. It wouldn’t hurt to avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame that have been linked to such scary and not at all healthy breakfast-friendly terms like cancer. There should be lots of health-beneficial options available to you at your local grocery store.
A classical parfait would suggest a liberal sprinkling of granola, but despite it’s health-food reputation, granola is pretty suspect. It has a tendency to be loaded with way more fat and sugar than you’d expect, just the kind of stuff that will lead to a crash when you need the energy most. Instead, why not reach for a box of crunchy, healthy cereal that you just acquired while reading the last part of this article? Sounds like a good idea to me.
Throw these in a bowl and mix in whatever berries or cut-up fruit you have at your disposal. Fruit, in general, is a great bodily fuel to start the day. They’re packed with vitamins, water, that hydrates as well as making you feel full, fiber, anti-oxidants, which help prevent that nasty cancer-thing, and most importantly to me, flavor.