Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in HIV & AIDS for July 2010. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Specialties See Modest Compensation Increases in '09
FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Most medical specialties saw modest compensation increases in 2009, but many provider organizations are still operating at a substantial loss, according to the findings of the American Medical Group Association's (AMGA) 2010 Medical Group Compensation and Financial Survey.
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HIV Care Quality in VA Hospitals Generally High
TUESDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- National performance rates for quality-of-care measures for HIV patients receiving care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are generally high, though there is variation from facility to facility, according to a study in the July 26 Archives of Internal Medicine. Another study in the same issue suggests that some HIV drugs increase the risk of heart attack in HIV-infected patients.
Abstract - Backus
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Abstract - Lang
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HIV Tied to Higher Death Risk Even With High CD4 Counts
FRIDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- HIV infection appears to increase the risk of death in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive patients with CD4 counts greater than 350 cells per µL compared to the general population, although the increased risk appears relatively modest, according to a study published online July 16 in The Lancet.
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Benefits Seen With Early Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV
WEDNESDAY, July 14 (HealthDay News) -- Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected adults with CD4+ T-cell counts below 350 per cubic millimeter may lower the rates of death and new cases of tuberculosis, according to research published in the July 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Program Linked to Fewer HIV Risk Behaviors in Couples
TUESDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) -- A culturally congruent intervention may reduce sexual risk behaviors in African-American couples who are HIV serodiscordant, according to research published online July 12 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Findings May Hold Value for Future HIV-1 Vaccine Design
MONDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) -- Three previously unknown monoclonal antibodies can neutralize most circulating HIV-1 isolates, and one of these partially imitates the interaction of the CD4 receptor with the viral envelope protein but focuses on a site consistent between strains, allowing for broad neutralization, according to the results of two studies published online July 8 in Science.
Abstract - Wu
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Abstract - Zhou
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Users of ED Drugs Have Higher Rates of Sexual Diseases
TUESDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- Men using medication for erectile dysfunction (ED) have higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) -- especially HIV infection -- both before and after using these drugs, according to research published in the July 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Report Addresses Physician Financial Conflicts in Care
THURSDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- In a new report, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) urges U.S. teaching hospitals to establish policies that ensure financial relationships between physicians and industry do not result in conflicts of interest that influence patient care.
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