Heavy Alcohol Consumption Leads to Quicker HIV Progression

According to new research from the Boston University School of Medicine, there is a link between HIV disease progression in infected patients and alcohol consumption. The results of the study appear in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes' August edition according to a press release published by Boston University.

The effect of alcohol use in HIV infected patients has already been examined in both animal and human studies, and it is widely thought that alcohol not only affects the immunologic functions in HIV infected persons, but also increases the rate of replication of HIV in the lymphocytes.

In the study conducted by the Boston University School of Medicine, researchers examined CD4 counts, the HIV RNA levels, and alcohol consumption in a group of 595 patients with HIV. All of the patients evaluated had admitted alcohol problems.

Subjects in the study that were heavy drinkers who did not use antiretroviral therapy did not have an increased risk of a lower CD4 cell count. However, patients that were not on antiretroviral therapy but consumed large amounts of alcohol had an increased risk of a lower CD4 cell count.

CD4 cell counts are critical in patients with HIV. CD4 cells are the part of the helper T cells that become under attack after the patient contracts HIV. When the CD4 cells decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, making the body even more susceptible to infections. If untreated, low CD4 cell counts often cause the HIV infected person to develop AIDS.

Alcohol use in patients with a prevalent disease such as HIV, can have important public health consequences," said lead author Jeffrey Samet, MD, MPH, a professor of medicine at BUSM and chief of General Internal Medicine at Boston Medical Center in a press release. "HIV-infected persons who drink alcohol heavily and are not on ART might decrease their risk of disease progression if they abstain from alcohol use."

However, the researchers noted that there is evidence that interventions conducted by medical professionals have a large success rate. They suggest that HIV advocates should consider reaching out to people within the HIV infected community that have drinking problems as a way to preserve an HIV patient's health.

"Although limited evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of intervention for alcohol problems specifically in people with HIV, its implementation among HIV-infected populations seems to be a worthwhile goal," said senior author Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at BUSM, director of the Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit at Boston Medical Center, and associate director of the Boston University School of Public Health Youth Alcohol Prevention Center in a press release.

SOURCES:

"Study shows link between alcohol consumption and HIV disease progression." Eurekalert. URL:( http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/bu-ssl082007.php)