Aspirin, a drug commonly available, may help prevent HIV

An affordable, globally available drug – low-dose aspirin – could help prevent HIV transmission, scientists say. HIV infection rates remain unacceptably high, especially among young African women. Researchers including those from University of Manitoba in Canada tested the effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or aspirin) and other anti-inflammatory drugs on HIV target cells in a group of Kenyan women who were at low risk for HIV. The pilot study, published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society, built on existing knowledge about the role of inflammation in HIV transmission.…

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Ladies, this new tool can protect you from HIV transmission

A new tool has been developed to protect women from HIV infection. The tool, developed by the scientists at the University of Waterloo, is a vaginal implant, which decreases the number of cells that the HIV virus can target in a woman’s genital tract. Unlike conventional methods of HIV prevention, such as condoms or anti-HIV drugs, the implant takes advantage of some people’s natural immunity to the virus. HIV infects the body by corrupting T cells, that are mobilised by the immune system when the virus enters a person’s body.…

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The Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet for Diabetics & HIV Patients

A lot has been researched and talked about the miraculous Mediterranean diet and how beneficial it can be. As the name suggests, this popular diet is typically followed in the Mediterranean countries. It is characterized by high consumption of plant-base foods, grains, vegetables, nuts and olive oil and limits the consumption of protein and unhealthy fats. This sort of a diet is known to be heart-healthy, boosts brain power and has also been linked to reduced incidence of cancer. A new study throws light on another benefit of following the Mediterranean…

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New HIV infections down, but AIDS deaths rise 35% in 3 yrs

Deaths due to full blown AIDSin the city have jumped by nearly 35% over the last three years though the number of fresh HIV infections has shown a decline, shows figures collated by the Mumbai District Aids Control Society. They suggest that a majority of the HIV cases are detected in the 35-49 age group, indicating that awareness campaigns are probably not making early inroads. AIDS deaths rose from 945 in 2013-14 to 1,270 in 2015-16 (see box). Activists are alarmed that the year-on-year increase in fatalities has ranged from…

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Smoking may harm HIV patients more than the virus itself

Smoking may harm HIV patients more than the virus itself ( Ineke Kamps/Getty Images) Among people living with HIV who smoke cigarettes, smoking may shorten their lifespan more than HIV itself, warns a study by an Indian-origin researcher. “A person with HIV who consistently takes HIV medicines but smokes is much more likely to die of a smoking-related disease than of HIV itself,” explained study author Krishna P. Reddy of the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The study suggests that making smoking cessation a priority and finding effective…

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UK scientists on verge of curing HIV?

UK scientists on verge of curing HIV? A British man could become the first person in the world to be cured of HIV using a new therapy designed by a team of scientists from five UK universities. The therapy is combining standard antiretroviral drugs with another one that reactivates dormant HIV and a vaccine that induces the immune system to destroy the infected cells. Antiretoviral drugs alone are highly effective at stopping the virus from reproducing but do not eradicate the disease, so must be taken for life. The 44-year-old…

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