HIV Patients Should Get More Advice About Living Longer
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Joe Biafore/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Due to important breakthroughs in the treatment of AIDS, many people diagnosed with the HIV virus are now able to live long lives compared to 30 years ago, when HIV was almost an automatic death sentence.
As a result of these treatments, new guidelines for HIV-infected patients are being established by the Human Immunodeficiency Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
In short, the group said doctors need to start focusing on preventative care normally associated with non-HIV patients.
Dr. Judith A. Aberg of the NYU School of Medicine, lead author of the new guidelines, is calling for physicians to watch out for conditions associated with the middle-aged and elderly, such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.
Furthermore, HIV-patients should receive immunizations for pneumococcal infection, influenza, varicella and hepatitis A and B.
It’s estimated that 80 percent of people diagnosed with HIV and receiving treatment can now enjoy normal life spans.
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