Frequent alcohol use fans faster HIV spread
May 14th, 2010 - 3:57 pm ICT by IANSWashington, May 14 (IANS) HIV tends to progress faster in infected individuals who consume two or more alcoholic drinks daily, says a new study.
The study clearly demonstrates that frequent alcohol use, defined as two or more drinks daily, is associated with declining CD4+ cell counts (which indicate a weakened immune system) in individuals, who are HIV positive and who are either receiving or nor receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
The ART consists of the use of at least three antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to maximally suppress the HIV virus.
Based on the results of a 30-month prospective study, authors Marianna Baum, Carlin Rafie, Sabrina Sales and Adriana Campa, from Florida International University (FIU), Miami; Shenghan Lai from Johns Hopkins University and John Bryan Page from University of Miami (Florida) conclude that alcohol has a direct effect on CD4 cells, said an FIU release.
“It is important that HIV infected individuals make informed decisions relating to alcohol consumption. This article will help to achieve that goal,” said Thomas Hope, editor-in-chief of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, which published these findings.
Hope is also professor of cell and molecular biology at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago.
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Tags: aids research and human retroviruses, alcohol consumption, alcoholic drinks, cd4 cell counts, cd4 cells, cell and molecular biology, feinberg school of medicine, fiu miami, florida international university, hiv virus, johns hopkins university, northwestern university chicago, prospective study, rafie, school of medicine, study authors, thomas hope, university of miami, university of miami florida, weakened immune system
