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Amplifying and Quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV Infected Individuals with Viral Loads Below the Limit of Detection by Standard Clinical Assays
Published on: September 26, 2011
The Rapidly Evolving Research on Vitamin D Among HIV-Infected Populations
Edgar Turner Overton1, Michael T Yin
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8011, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA, toverton@dom.wustl.edu.
Abstract:
With ongoing improvement in antiretroviral therapy, mortality among HIV-infected persons has dramatically decreased. For HIV-infected persons who remain engaged in care on suppressive therapy, life expectancy approaches that of the general population. Additionally, we have seen increases in comorbidities traditionally associated with aging: diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, ischemic heart disease, and osteoporosis. Vitamin D deficiency has also been identified as a highly prevalent entity among HIV-infected populations. The association of vitamin D deficiency with several of these comorbidities and its impact on immune function provide the impetus for well-designed studies to evaluate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on HIV disease and antiretroviral therapy. This review summarizes the role of vitamin D in several disease states that are prevalent among HIV populations, with a specific focus on bone health and the interactions with antiretroviral medications.
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