HIV and the Brain: Part 2
At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco—David Evans speaks with Scott Letendre, MD, from the University of California in San Diego, about the relationship of HIV levels in the brain versus the blood, and what that might mean for treating HIV.

Cancer Risks and HIV
At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco—David Evans speaks with Michael Silverberg, PhD, from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, about the latest research on cancer risk in people with HIV, and strategies for reducing the risk.

HIV and the Brain: Part 1
At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco—David Evans speaks with Ronald Ellis, MD, PhD, from the University of California in San Francisco, about factors that protect the brain from HIV. This is the first of a two part video on HIV and the brain.

HIV and Bone Health
At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco, David Evans speaks with Grace McComsey, MD—division chief of Pediatric Infectious Disease and Rheumatology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland—about the causes of bone loss in people living with HIV, and what can be done about it.

Bone Fracture Risk Higher Among People Living With HIV
People living with HIV face a higher risk of bone fractures than people of similar ages in the general population, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS) presented Thursday, February 18, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

Vitamin D Deficiency Common Among HIV Positive
Vitamin D insufficiency is common among people living with HIV in the United States—although not necessarily more so compared with the general population—according to a study reported on Friday, February 19, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

HIV in the Brain Usually Matches Levels in the Blood
People with undetectable HIV levels in the blood are also likely to have undetectable levels in the brain, according to a study presented February 19 at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco. However, the study doesn’t fully answer whether people living with HIV must be on antiretrovirals (ARV) that penetrate the central nervous system in order to prevent damage to the brain.

Hep C Treatment Might Also Guard Against HIV Disease Progression
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment—when successful—offers survival benefits over and above reductions in liver disease among people coinfected with both HIV and HCV, according to a study reported February 19 at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

Truvada and Norvir-Boosted Reyataz More Likely to Cause Bone Loss in ACTG Study
Truvada (tenofovir and emtricitabine) is more likely to lead to bone loss than Epzicom (abacavir and lamivudine); in addition, Norvir (ritonavir)-boosted Reyataz (atazanavir) is more likely to contribute to bone loss than Sustiva (efavirenz), according to new data from the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) reported Thursday, February 18, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in San Francisco.

Maintaining Higher CD4s Protects Against Brain Damage
People who are able to maintain CD4 counts above 350 have a lower risk of developing brain damage. This conclusion, based on an analysis of data from a large cohort study, was presented as a poster February 16 at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

HIV and Heart Disease Risks
At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infection (CROI) in San Francisco, David Evans talks with Priscilla Hsue, MD, a researcher and physician at the University of California in San Francisco, about how HIV might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease through inflammation, and what people with HIV ought to do about it.

Increased Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease Linked to Tenofovir and Atazanavir
Continued use of two commonly used antiretrovirals (ARVs)—tenofovir (found in Viread, Truvada and Atripla) and atazanavir (Reyataz), along with the older protease inhibitor indinavir (Crixivan)—is associated with an increased risk of kidney function deterioration, according to an analysis of the large ongoing EuroSIDA study reported on Thursday, February 18, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). It is the first study reported to date linking the long-term use of specific ARVs and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Non-AIDS Cancer Risk Decreases With Higher CD4 Cell Counts
Some good news regarding cancers: If antiretroviral therapy is able to maintain higher CD4 cell counts, it may reduce the risk of various non-AIDS-related cancers—notably those caused by other infectious diseases, human papillomavirus (HPV), for example—in people living with HIV. 

Smoking Cessation Reduces Cardiovascular Disease Risk in HIV
The risk of developing various forms of cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV decreases with time upon stopping cigarette smoking, according to new data from the D:A:D study reported on Thursday, February 18, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco. Though the results may not come as a surprise, they are among the first to show that smoking cessation has a positive affect on the lives of HIV-positive people.

H1N1 Meets HIV
People with HIV are generally no more likely to experience severe complications of H1N1 influenza virus than people not infected with HIV, according to studies reported on Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). However, studies presented here also paint a conflicting picture regarding the ability of H1N1 vaccines to spark sufficient immune responses against the virus in people with HIV hoping to avoid the novel influenza virus still circulating the globe. 

HIV Contributes to Lung Cancer Risk, but Not Nearly as Much as Smoking
HIV infection increases the risk of developing lung cancer by about 80 percent, according to a study presented Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco. However, it is smoking among people living with HIV that poses the greatest risk of developing lung cancer. 

New Treatments for HIV: Part 1
At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco—Tim Horn speaks with David Hardy, MD, from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, about new HIV treatments—including the drug blood level-booster, cobicistat, and the new integrase inhibitor, elvitegravir. Part 1 of a 2-part video.

New Treatments for HIV: Part 2
At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco—Tim Horn speaks with David Hardy, MD, from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, about new HIV treatments—including two entry inhibitors: vicriviroc and TBR-652. Part 2 of a 2-part video.

New CCR5 Antagonist Shows Promise in Early Study
TBR-652, a CCR5 receptor antagonist being developed by Tobira Therapeutics, was safe and well tolerated in a small 10-day study reported on Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco. 

Vicriviroc Falls Short in Treatment-Experienced HIV Studies
Merck’s CCR5 receptor antagonist vicriviroc, combined with an optimized regimen of approved drugs, failed to prove itself superior to an optimized regimen alone in two Phase III clinical trials involving treatment experienced patients reported on Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco. 

Quad Pill and Boosting Drug Show Well in Studies
Gilead Sciences’ experimental “Quad” tablet and boosting agent cobicistat continue to show promise in two ongoing clinical trials reported Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

HIV Prevention: On the Verge of Success?
At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco—David Evans speaks with Mitchell Warren, from the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition in New York City, about the state of prevention research, which could be on the verge of new successes with PrEP and test-and-treat strategies.

HIV Treatment in Southern Africa
At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco—David Evans speaks with Suzanne Ingle, from the University of Bristol in England, about factors affecting the roll out of HIV treatment in Southern Africa.

One in Six New HIV Cases Involves Drug-Resistant Virus
About one of every six new HIV cases diagnosed in 2007 involved virus with antiretroviral (ARV) drug-resistance mutations, according to data reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

Routine HIV Testing Proving Successful in Washington, DC
More HIV-positive residents of Washington, DC, are being tested and diagnosed earlier, entering into care faster and progressing to AIDS more slowly in recent years, according to data presented Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). These encouraging findings likely speak to the effectiveness of an initiative launched by the DC Department of Health in 2006 to implement routine HIV testing with improved linkage to care throughout the city.

Testing and Treatment Tied to Fewer New HIV Cases in S.F. & Vancouver Studies
New public health data from San Francisco and British Columbia indicate that increased HIV testing and viral load-reducing antiretroviral therapy are affecting transmission rates in both locales, according to new reports at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

Normal Life Expectancy With Maintenance of CD4s Above 500
Survival among HIV-positive men who keep their CD4 counts above 500 cells for at least three years is comparable with that of the general population, according to optimistic data from a large European cohort reported on Friday, February 19, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). More sobering findings were documented among HIV-positive women: mortality rates, even among those responding well to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, were still lower compared with HIV-negative women.

Testing and Treatment Tied to Fewer New HIV Cases in S.F. & Vancouver Studies
New public health data from San Francisco and British Columbia indicate that increased HIV testing and viral load-reducing antiretroviral therapy are affecting transmission rates in both locales, according to new reports at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

No Efficacy Differences in ACTG Study Comparing Sustiva or Reyataz with either Epzicom or Truvada
Among HIV-positive patients with viral loads below 100,000 copies/mL, there are no significant differences in long-terms effectiveness between those using Reyataz (atazanavir) or Sustiva (efavirenz) in combination with either Epzicom (abacavir plus lamivudine) or Truvada (tenofovir plus emtricitabine), according to final results from a federally funded AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) study reported on Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.

Once-Daily Prezista Effective, Safer for HIV Treatment-Experienced Patients
Once-daily Norvir (ritonavir)-boosted Prezista is as effective and associated with fewer side effects compared with standard twice-daily dosing in treatment-experienced patients, according to 48-week data from a clinical trial reported on Wednesday, February 17, at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco.