Those With HIV Living Longer, International Study Finds
Those With HIV Living Longer, International Study Finds
Deaths from AIDS-related causes, heart disease and liver disease have all dropped
THURSDAY, July 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Overall death rates for HIV-positive adults living in Australia, Europe and the United States have been cut 28 percent since 1999, according to new international research.
Deaths from AIDS-related causes dropped more than one-third among the HIV-positive adults in the study. Cardiovascular disease deaths declined by almost two-thirds, while deaths from liver disease were nearly halved, the study authors found.
"It is reassuring that death rates continue to decrease amongst HIV-positive people," said lead researcher Colette Smith, a lecturer in biostatistics at the University College London in England.
Not all the news was positive, however. Rates of cancer deaths remained stable, the researchers noted.
Antiretroviral drugs are credited with making HIV into what some now call a chronic disease rather than a death sentence. This is particularly true in developed countries where treatment is readily available.
"Unfortunately, we do not currently have a cure for HIV, and it seems likely that people will have to take antiretroviral drugs for life," Smith said.
She noted that death rates among HIV-positive people need to be monitored to be sure antiretroviral drugs remain effective and safe over years of treatment.
"We are not yet sure whether decades of antiretroviral treatment will lead to unexpected side effects. Therefore, we must continue to investigate what HIV-positive people die of, to pick up these potential side effects as quickly as possible," Smith said.
In addition, it's likely that HIV-positive people are at an increased risk for non-AIDS diseases, including liver disease, heart disease and cancer, she noted.
"Reasons for this may include side effects of the antiretroviral treatment and lifestyle factors, such as smoking, which is more common among HIV-positive people, or the HIV infection itself is increasing the risk," Smith said.
The report was released online July 17 and published in the July 19 print issue of The Lancet.
For the current study, Smith and her colleagues reviewed data on nearly 50,000 people who were HIV-positive. Specifically, they looked at deaths between 1999 and 2011. The researchers adjusted the data to account for factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, smoking, weight and whether or not someone had additional illnesses.
Those With HIV Living Longer: International Study
Deaths from AIDS-related causes, heart disease and liver disease have all dropped
THURSDAY, July 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Overall death rates for HIV-positive adults living in Australia, Europe and the United States have been cut 28 percent since 1999, according to new international research.
Deaths from AIDS-related causes dropped more than one-third among the HIV-positive adults in the study. Cardiovascular disease deaths declined by almost two-thirds, while deaths from liver disease were nearly halved, the study authors found.
"It is reassuring that death rates continue to decrease amongst HIV-positive people," said lead researcher Colette Smith, a lecturer in biostatistics at the University College London in England.
Not all the news was positive, however. Rates of cancer deaths remained stable, the researchers noted.
Antiretroviral drugs are credited with making HIV into what some now call a chronic disease rather than a death sentence. This is particularly true in developed countries where treatment is readily available.
"Unfortunately, we do not currently have a cure for HIV, and it seems likely that people will have to take antiretroviral drugs for life," Smith said.
She noted that death rates among HIV-positive people need to be monitored to be sure antiretroviral drugs remain effective and safe over years of treatment.
"We are not yet sure whether decades of antiretroviral treatment will lead to unexpected side effects. Therefore, we must continue to investigate what HIV-positive people die of, to pick up these potential side effects as quickly as possible," Smith said.
In addition, it's likely that HIV-positive people are at an increased risk for non-AIDS diseases, including liver disease, heart disease and cancer, she noted.
"Reasons for this may include side effects of the antiretroviral treatment and lifestyle factors, such as smoking, which is more common among HIV-positive people, or the HIV infection itself is increasing the risk," Smith said.
The report was released online July 17 and published in the July 19 print issue of The Lancet.
For the current study, Smith and her colleagues reviewed data on nearly 50,000 people who were HIV-positive. Specifically, they looked at deaths between 1999 and 2011. The researchers adjusted the data to account for factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, smoking, weight and whether or not someone had additional illnesses.