New Delhi : HIV patients may also be at a greater risk of developing both heart and kidney diseases, finds a study that urges doctors to be more aware of additional risks associated with the human immunodeficiency virus infection.
The findings showed that the risks of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease in people with HIV infection occur simultaneously. “Our research found that people with HIV at high risk of cardiovascular disease had a corresponding 5.63-fold increase in the risk of chronic kidney disease, a finding not consistent with the general community,” said Mark Boyd, Professor at the University of Adelaide. “It’s wonderful that anti-HIV medication has been able to save the lives of so many, what we need to do now is to help people with HIV realise the full potential of their much-extended life expectancy,” Boyd added
The research emphasised that the risks for cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease in people with HIV should be assessed together. “We strongly urge both people with HIV and their doctors to be aware of these risks, and to treat them as a combined healthcare issue, not separately,” Boyd said. Marijuana use can lead to cognitive dysfunction in some HIV patients