HIV update - 14th May 2014

New 'Taking your HIV treatment' booklet

With access to modern HIV treatment and care, people are living long and healthy lives with HIV.

Taking your HIV treatment is a new title in NAM’s booklet series, which provides a starting point for anyone who wants to know about treatment for HIV.

You will get the most benefit from HIV treatment if you take it as prescribed (often referred to as 'adherence'). Modern HIV treatment is made up of a combination of drugs that work in different ways, but some anti-HIV drugs are available already combined. For many people, HIV treatment now means taking one or two pills each day.

This new booklet, Taking your HIV treatment, covers some key topics which can help you think about what to discuss with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist, whether you are starting treatment for the first time, taking treatment already, or thinking about a change.

Find out more in the NAM blog or read the booklet online at www.aidsmap.com/booklets

Drinking and hepatitis C

A new study shows that even moderate alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of advanced liver fibrosis for people living with HIV and hepatitis C co-infection.

If a liver has fibrosis, this means that part of it has been hardened and scarred. The most advanced liver fibrosis (called cirrhosis) risks the liver being unable to perform its vital functions. Fibrosis can be caused by excessive drinking, drug use or having hepatitis.

The study included around 3600 people and included individuals who had HIV, hepatitis C, both infections, or neither. All were tested for liver fibrosis and provided information about their drinking habits.

As expected, people who drank very heavily were more likely to have advanced liver fibrosis.

People living with HIV were also more likely to have advanced fibrosis, as were people living with hepatitis C. People who had both HIV and hepatitis C were even more likely to have advanced fibrosis.

Any alcohol use at all multiplied the risks for people with HIV and hepatitis C co-infection. If they were moderate drinkers, they were 14 times more likely to have advanced fibrosis than moderate drinkers without these infections. The risks were even higher for binge drinkers, hazardous drinkers and alcoholics.

The study shows the importance for people who have HIV and hepatitis C co-infection of reducing the amount they drink, at least until hepatitis C is treated and cured. This would be especially important for anyone who already has fibrosis, to help prevent the situation getting worse.

If you are concerned about your drinking, speak to a member of your healthcare team, who will be able to direct you to somebody who can help.

Alcohol Concern, one of the UK's largest alcohol charities, has information and a directory of services at www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/concerned-about-alcohol, or phone Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm). More information on Scottish support services is online at the DrinkSmarter website, or you can contact Drinkline in Scotland on 0800 7 314 314 (8am to 11pm, 7 days a week).

Tiredness and hepatitis C

Successful treatments for hepatitis C – using new drugs – can reduce tiredness, according to a new study. Fatigue is a common symptom for many people with hepatitis C and can also be a side-effect of treatment with interferon injections.

The study included 400 people who were cured of hepatitis C after twelve weeks taking sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), sometimes taken together with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Many reported improvements in their energy levels after successfully completing treatment.

But most improvements were seen in terms of ‘central fatigue’, which is weakness originating in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). There was less improvement in peripheral or physical fatigue that originates in the muscles. The researchers say it may take longer for this to improve.

Tiredness and fatigue are common problems among people with HIV. There are many possible causes and treatments and there are also things you can do to help you cope with fatigue. Find out more in our factsheet on Tiredness and fatigue and talk to your doctor for help and advice.