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Posts Tagged ‘HAART’

Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a lentivirus a part of the retrovirus family. Lentivirus derived from the Latin word “Lenti” meaning slow. Retroviridae family of viruses is characterized by a long incubation period. Lentiviruses can deliver a significant amount of genetic information into the DNA of the host cell, they are considered as one of the most effecient methods of a gene delivery vector. It relies on reverse transcriptase to perform reverse transcription of its genome from RNA to DNA for insertion by intergrase into host genome. The virus itself is just a storage form for its DNA; the reverse transcription takes place in the host’s cytosol. Inside our cell is a large fluid space called cytoplasm also known as cytosol.

Current treatment for HIV infected individuals consist of highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART. It has been considered beneficial since its introduction. Other HAART cocktail consist of at least three drugs belonging to at least two types of antiretroviral agents.As HIV reproduces itself, variants of the virus emerge, including some that are resistant to antiretroviral drugs. This finding pusheddoctors to recommend the use of combined antiretroviral drugs also known as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy. This approach in containing the damage brought by the HIV virus to the HIV positive person has been proven to have effectively suppressed the virus when used properly.

These HAART treatments have proven to reduce th amount of active virus and in some cases lower the number of active virus until it is undetectable by current blood testing techniques.

Learn more, symptoms of HIV

It has revolutionized how people with HIV infections are treated. HAART works by suppressing the virus and decreasing the rate of opportunistic infections. The aim of HAART is to keep the amount of HIV at low level. This stops any weakening in the immune system and allows it to recover from any damage that the virus might have caused already. Taking HAARTmay cause unpleasant side effects such as nausea and vommitting. In addition, it may cause more serious medical problems including metabolic changes and bone loss. These complex reaction to the treatment varies as each individual is unique. Hence, it is highly recommended to talk to your doctor before deciding when to start doing the necessary treatment. Thus,it is important to take into account both the benefits and and potential risks of any currently available regimens before starting a HIV/AIDS therapy.

Immune therapies are treatments which influence or modify certain components of the immune system. besides drugs a number of therapies are being looked into for use by people with HIV by boosting the body’s immunity.

How AIDS Medications are combined and the order in which they are given are important factors to consider when designing treatment strategies for patients new to antiretroviral therapy, says a new study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health. When HIV-infected individuals begin treatment with a combination of the drugs zidovudine, better known as AZT, lamivudine and efavirenz, the drugs retain their effectiveness for a longer period of time than when individuals begin treatment with one of several other three-drug regimens. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) employs combinations of anti-HIV drugs to help suppress the virus in people with HIV/AIDS. The purpose of HAARt is combined various HIV medications to supress HIV in a multitude of ways. Two classes that help prevent the virus from copying, called RT reverse transcriptase inhibitors RT, PI’s stop the virus from being infectious. RT inhibitors can be further broken down into nucleoside RT inhibitors, which halt HIV replication by making faulty DNA building blocks, and non-nucleoside inhibitors, which bind to the enzyme reverse transcriptase to prevent the virus from copying itself. The effectiveness of different drug combinations may diminish over time, however, and physicians often must implement new ones over the course of a person’s treatment. Combination AIDS HIV regimens are our currently most effective method in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Using this regimens we have been able to prolong lives, improve quality of life and even slow the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

The availability of HAART since 1996 has had a dramatic effect on the face of HIV/AIDS. HAART is a customized combination of different classes of medications that a physician prescribes based on such factors as the patient’s viral load, CD4⁺ lymphocyte count, and clinical symptoms. CD4⁺ lymphocytes are white blood cells that HIV infects and kills, leading to a weakened immune system and AIDS. Though not a cure, HAART controls viral load, helping to delay the onset of symptoms and achieve prolonged survival in people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

HAART has helped to reduce the health implications of HIV. Diagnoses of HIV OI’s and other complications have decreased sigificantly since its introduction. Other neurological problems associated with long term use of this therapy include nerve damage. HAART is reported to have an effect to increase lipid (fat) levels in the blood, changed glucose metabolism and other complications.

Interactions with HAART and other medications used in the treatment of addiction may hurt both treatments. For example, methadone blood concentration drops as a result of the components in HAART therapy. Research is under way to determine if buprenorphine, a newer medication for the treatment of opioid addictions, has similar liabilities.

One issue for people treated with HAART is sticking to the medication regimen which is needed to benefit from HAART. Adherence to HIV regimens can be hard for drug users with chaotic lifestyles, which can prevent them from following prescribe regimens. In addition, because HAART reduces viral load, some patients mistakenly believe that they do not need to adhere to the HIV/AIDS treatment regimen or that reduced viral load means elimination of the risk of transmitting HIV. This sometimes will lead to a complacency, where risky behaviors are resumed. Research has improved HIV/AIDS outcomes amoung IDU and has advanced discoveries for long term treatment of HIV/AIDS.