Research is still active in the field of AIDS treatment, but to date there is still no cure. The only treatment available is antiretroviral therapy, which improves efficiency and aims to prevent the replication of the AIDS virus.
This treatment, provided they are set up as soon as possible, can slow the disease progression to AIDS. In other words, even today, screening is essential to stop the contamination of new people and to treat people infected with the AIDS virus.
Still, taking long-term antiretroviral therapy is also accompanied by side effects, a study attempted to assess following a population of 1,200 French patients with HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy for 5 years or more between March and July 2010 (cohort Prelude). The main objective was to describe the disorders treatments that influence the lives of patients and their perceptions.
Patients, mostly men (71%) had a mean age of 47 years, HIV-positive for 15 years on average and antiretroviral therapy for 12 years.
Complications were most often type hyperglycemia, obesity, hepatitis C, cardiovascular disorders, addictions (smoking 91%, alcohol 31%).
Some 79% of patients reported at least one disorder in the three following categories:
physical (bodily changes, fatigue, bloating, diarrhea …)
neuropsychological Yeast Infection No More (sleep disturbance, feelings of emptiness, sadness, memory loss, cramps, pain in the muscles …)
quality of life (limitation due to fatigue, discomfort associated with bodily changes, neuropsychiatric disorders).
We note that patients on antiretroviral therapy are most often victims of fatigue with a strong impact in their daily lives, followed by sleep disorders, memory and bodily changes.
To know about the treatment of AIDS
AIDS treatment today is based mostly on the association of three or more antiretroviral drugs, some preventing the formation of certain proteins the virus needs to survive, others inhibit the binding of HIV on CD4 lymphocytes.
AIDS treatment is based on a delicate balance and fragile, requiring constant adjustments, adjustments professionals, using the environment, the use of complementary medicine, and if necessary pauses in antiretroviral therapy. In all cases, research must continue to improve treatment, efficiency and to reduce side effects. It is also imperative to continue the discussion to improve assistance for patients.
Finally, the issue of screening is still a priority to prevent contamination of new people and to earlier detection. According to data published in the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin devoted to HIV-AIDS in France in 2010, screening takes place in three cases at a very advanced stage of the disease AIDS, which represents substantial loss of opportunity.
