India ranks third in HIV epidemic in the world with an estimated prevalence of 0.3% ( 2013) i.e. 2.1 million people living with HIV. There is some reason to rejoice as 38% decline in AIDS-related deaths was observed between 2005 and 2013. Over 35% of all reported AIDS cases in India occur among age group of 15–24 years indicating that adolescents and young adults constitute a major group at risk of the infection. Continue reading “Need for different approach to Adolescent HIV/AIDS”
Tag: HIV
Assessing nutritional health risks in HIV patients
Malnutrition is common in HIV patients due to the compromised immunity and resulting poor appetite (anorexia). Also, oral/gastrointestinal symptoms such as pain, nausea, vomiting, malabsorption , and diarrhea may arise from HIV infection, secondary infections, encephalopathy or drug therapies.
Inability to eat food secondary to complicated medical regimens or fatigue adds to the nutritional risk. these patients are prone to infections usually termed as opportunistic infections. Continue reading “Assessing nutritional health risks in HIV patients”
Living healthfully with HIV infection
HIV-infected patients may be at nutritional risk at any point in their illness. Severe malnutrition and weight loss, particularly loss of lean tissue, and delayed weight gain and height velocity in children, can affect morbidity and mortality
During symptomatic HIV, and subsequently during AIDS, energy requirements increase by approximately 20% to 30% to maintain adult body weight. Energy intakes need to be increased by 50% to 100% over normal requirements in children experiencing weight loss Continue reading “Living healthfully with HIV infection”
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