Treataware

People who adhere closely to a Mediterranean diet—comprised of olive oil, grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables and fish with less meat and dairy – may have a lower risk of developing diabetes according to a recent study by Martinez –Gonzalez and colleagues from the University of Pamplona in Spain. This could be important for people with HIV on certain antiretroviral drugs that are more prone to contribute to insulin resistance, the precursor of Type 2 diabetes. www.poz.com

A New Zealand company is working on an antiviral agent - a micro particle called mis416 - that utilizes the immune system to fight flu, hepatitis and HIV. Until they perfect the technology, people with HIV will just have to make do with the flu vaccines currently available. And at this time of year, that’s not a bad idea! http://www.tv3.co.nz

A warning has been issued by Tibotec, the manufacturers of Prezista (darunavir) regarding the risk of developing drug-induced hepatitis while taking the treatment. Apparently, 0.5% of clinical trial participants who took a combination including darunavir (boosted with ritonavir) developed severe hepatotoxicity. Anyone with a history of liver-related complications such as hepatitis B or C are particularly susceptible, so appropriate tests prior to starting darunavir and regular monitoring while on the drug are vital to avoid developing any hepatotoxic reaction. http://www.ashm.org.au

An encouraging outcome of the DUET studies is that etravirine is effective against HIV mutations resistant to existing NNRTIs, efavirenz and nevirapine. Investigators found that 89% who had resistance after treatment with nevirapine were susceptible to etravirine and 91% of patients whose virus was resistant to efavirenz benefitted from treatment with the new drug. Etravirine is currently available in Australia on compassionate access. http://www.aidsmap.org

The latest finding of the DAD study (Data Collection on Adverse Events of Anti-HIV Drugs) links stavudine (d4T) to an increased risk of developing diabetes. Other NRTIs - zidovudine (AZT) and didanosine (ddI) - have also been implicated, but to a lesser degree. Interestingly, the PI, ritonavir, and the NNRTI, nevirapine, are associated with a reduced risk in developing the disease.