Several studies presented at the 2010 International AIDS Conference found that treatment regimens containing Viread or Norvir are linked to kidney disease in people with HIV.

People with HIV are more prone to kidney disease, both because of the HIV virus, which can infect and kill kidney cells, and from damage caused by the antiretrovirals used to treat it. Viread (tenofovir), in particular, has been associated with loss of kidney function.

Viread is commonly used in combination with other antiretroviral medications and is an ingredient in Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir) and Truvada…

A session on side effects of antiretroviral therapy at the 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria included a presentation on bone loss in people with HIV and its possible causes and risk factors. The presenter, Dr. Patrick Mallon, confirmed that people with HIV experience greater bone loss than people without HIV; however, he also argued that the link between bone loss and antiretroviral medications, weight, and vitamin D deficiency remains unclear.

Dr. Mallon, an infectious diseases specialist at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin and a lecturer at the…

Researchers presented several studies at the International AIDS Conference that examined the role of antiretroviral drugs in the development of heart problems in people with HIV. Results from two large studies indicated that other factors play a larger role in determining heart attack risk than taking antiretroviral medications.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Some studies have estimated that heart disease causes as many as a fifth of all deaths in people with HIV.

Some previous studies have…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released new guidelines last week regarding treatment for pregnant HIV-positive women and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

The guidelines include updates on preferred regimens for prevention of HIV transmission during pregnancy.

According to the report, fewer than 200 children are now born with HIV in the United States each year, as a result of efforts to limit mother-to-child transmission.

Transmission of HIV from a pregnant woman to her baby can occur during pregnancy, labor, or while breastfeeding after the baby is born. To…