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Results from a recent study indicate that the rate of low muscle mass is high in HIV-positive men. The results also showed that two-thirds of men in the study had low bone mineral density.

The study authors noted that the rate of low muscle mass was similar to that found for HIV-negative men aged 70 to 74 years old in a different study.

The investigators suggested that evaluation for muscle loss should be included when assessing bone fracture risk in people with HIV. They stressed the need for future studies…

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Results from a recent Australian study show that switching to Truvada or Epzicom can help improve limb fat loss caused by older antiretroviral drugs like zidovudine or stavudine.

The study authors also noted that participants with the most severe limb fat loss had the largest gain in limb fat after switching.

“This is good news for participants with severe loss of limb fat, as switching treatment can positively change their body image,” said Allison Humphries, Senior Clinical Project Coordinator at the Kirby Institute of the University of New South Wales,…

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ACLU Sues Alabama For Segregating HIV-Positive Prisoners – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Corrections for segregating HIV-positive prisoners from the rest of the inmate population. According to the suit, prisoners with HIV are housed separately, which reveals their HIV status and prevents them from participating in certain work release and other programs. The Department of Corrections states that HIV-positive prisoners have access to the same programs and that the segregation does not violate any of the prisoners’ rights; the Department has asked that the lawsuit be dismissed. For more information, please see the article on the CBS news site.

AIDS.gov Opens “Facing AIDS 2011” Campaign For World AIDS Day – To commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1, AIDS.gov is raising awareness through its “Facing AIDS 2011” campaign. Interested individuals are encouraged to download a “Facing AIDS” flier from the website and share why they are facing AIDS. Participants can take photos of themselves with their flier and then upload their images to the Facing AIDS website. All participants are encouraged to share their photos online with family and friends. Instructions on how to plan community events for the campaign are also available. For more information on how to participate, please see the AIDS.gov website.

Gilead Sciences Signs Agreement To Develop New Type Of Antiretroviral Drugs – Gilead Sciences has signed a licensing agreement with pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim to develop and market a new type of antiretroviral drug, initially pioneered by Boehringer Ingelheim. The new drugs are integrase inhibitors but work differently than Isentress (raltegravir) or the investigational drug elvitegravir. As a result, they are expected to be effective against HIV that is resistant to current integrase inhibitors. The agreement includes the investigational drug BI 224436, which has been tested in a Phase 1 clinical trial. For more information, please see the Gilead Sciences press release.

Theratechnologies Begins Development On New Lipodystrophy Drug – Theratechnologies announced last week that it has discovered a new potential drug in the same class as Egrifta (tesamorelin) and will begin pre-clinical testing of the new compound for treatment of lipodystrophy, a condition of abnormal fat distribution that is a side effect of certain anti-HIV medications. Theratechnologies stated that the new drug candidate appears to be as effective as Egrifta but may not need to be injected, as Egrifta is. Egrifta, which was approved in the U.S. in November of last year, was the first drug approved to treat lipodystrophy. For more information, please see the Theratechnologies press release.

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This article is the second in a two-part series on the use of facial fillers to replace fat lost due to facial wasting in people with HIV, which is a common side effect of certain antiretrovirals. Part 1 discussed permanent fillers; Part 2 discusses temporary fillers.

In a recent review, Dr. Derek Jones from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles discussed the use of a variety of facial fillers to treat HIV-related facial fat loss.

According to Dr. Jones, side effects from…

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This article is the first in a two-part series on the use of facial fillers to replace fat lost due to facial wasting in people with HIV, which is a common side effect of certain antiretrovirals. Part 1 discusses permanent fillers; Part 2 discusses temporary fillers.

A recent review of facial fillers indicates that a variety of fillers are available that are safe and effective for treating antiretroviral-related facial fat loss in people with HIV.

The author suggested that surgeons properly select facial fillers, with a focus on the…