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HIV Treatment Interruption Associated with Reduced Bone Loss in SMART Trial

People who stopped antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the SMART trial had less bone loss and lower levels of bone metabolism biomarkers than people who remained on continuous treatment, according to a report in the January 8, 2013, advance edition of Journal of Bone Mineral Research.

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Coverage of 11th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 11th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection (HIV11), November 11-15, 2012, Glasgow, Scotland.

Conference highlights include experimental antiretroviral drugs, ART strategies, manging side effects, HIV-related non-AIDS conditions, treatment as prevention and PrEP, HIV/HCV coinfection, and the search for a cure for HIV.

Full listing by topic

HIVandHepatitis.com HIV11 conference section

11/17/12

Higher Dose Flu Vaccine Works Better for People with HIV

HIV positive people who received a quadruple dose of a trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine produced more protective antibodies without a significant increase in side effects, researchers reported in the January 1, 2013, Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Speed of Processing Training Can Improve Cognitive Function for People with HIV

Completing 10 hours of exercises designed to enhance mental processing speed led to improvements in cognitive functioning for middle-aged and older people with HIV and increased their ability to carry out daily tasks, researchers reported in the November 2012 Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. 

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FDA Approves Diarrhea Drug Crofelemer for People with HIV/AIDS

On December 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved crofelemer (brand name Fulyzaq) for treatment of diarrhea in people with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART) -- the first approved medication for this indication.

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CDC Recommends Pneumococcal Vaccine Combo for Immune Compromised People

Immunocompromised individuals, including people with HIV, should receive both the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Prevnar 13 and the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine Pneumovax 23 to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive disease, according to the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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Working Group Releases Guidelines for Improved Care of HIV-associated Cognitive Impairment

All people with HIV should be screened for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders soon after testing positive, and those with evidence of impairment should be monitored regularly, according to international consensus guidelines developed by the Mind Exchange Working Group published in the November 28, 2012, advance edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Beyond antiretroviral therapy (ART), however, there are limited options for managing neurocognitive problems.

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Methadone Use Reduces Risk of HIV Infection among Injection Drug Users

Methadone maintenance therapy is associated with a lower risk of HIV infection among people who inject drugs, though this may be attributable in part to differing behavior among people who do and do not seek treatment for addiction, according to a report in the October 3, 2012, British Medical Journal.

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