NAPWA

Abacavir should be avoided by people who are in the high cardiovascular risk group.

Treatment side-effects have become of major interest with issues such as cardiovascular risk discussed. Dr David Nolan from the Centre for ClinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. Immunology and Biomedical studies in Perth reminded people of the importance of diet and exercise for people with HIV in reducing the risks but also noted that the findings of the SMART StudyA clinical trial is a research study to answer specific questions about vaccines or new therapies or new ways of using known treatments. Clinical trials are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective. Carefully conducted clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatments that work in people. Trials are in four phases: Phase I tests a new drug or treatment in a small group; Phase II expands the study to a larger group of people; Phase III expands the study to an even larger group of people; and Phase IV takes place after the drug or treatment has been licensed and marketed. showed treatment interruption was a major contributor to cardio-vascular and renal disease. It also showed that abacavir use within the last six months was associated with increased cardiovascular risk in those patients with risk factors.

Professor Martyn French from the University of WA discussed the DAD study presented at the Mexico IAS Conference in July and noted that half of those in the study had taken abacavir in the form of trizivir and that the increased cardiovascular risk may have something to do with the reduced viral suppression associated with this 3-NRTIA type of anti-HIV drug that works by inhibiting a stage of the HIV life cycle called reverse transcription. Non-nucleosides work in a similar way, but are chemically different. combination drug. Abacavir should be avoided by people who are in the high cardiovascular risk group, he said.