Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Staying off booze can halt HIV spread

WASHINGTON: Drinking alcohol adversely affects HIV-infected people, a new study has found.

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) carried out the study, which shows a link between alcohol consumption and HIV disease progression in HIV-infected persons.

The researchers found that among subjects who were not on ART, heavy alcohol consumption was associated with a lower CD4 cell count, and that among subjects who were on ART, heavy alcohol consumption was not associated with a lower CD4 cell count or higher HIV viral load.

“HIV-infected persons who drink alcohol heavily and are not on ART might decrease their risk of disease progression if they abstain from alcohol use,” he added. read more

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