Insulin Resistance Induced by Antiretroviral Drugs: Current Understanding of Molecular Mechanisms

The increase in incidence of HIV infection continues to be a major public health problem across the world; but more especially in sub- Saharan Africa. Treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved the prognosis of patients with AIDS; but it has also increased the incidence of various metabolic disorders; in particular insulin resistance accompanied by dyslipidaemia; hyperglycaemia and lipodystrophy. This is often accompanied by frank type 2 diabetes and increased mortality from cardiovascular disease. It is important to understand the mechanistic basis for these side-effects as the incidence of these is likely to increase as the rollout of antiretroviral drugs continues

The HIV-1 exposed neonate: outcome of intensive care management in the first week of life.

A prospective study was carried out to determine if the outcome in HIV-exposed neonates requiring intensive care (n=30) is different from that in HIV-unexposed neonates (n=40) requiring intensive care in the first week of postnatal life. It was noted that the outcome in terms of incidence of death and intensive care stay do not differ significantly in these two groups although some hematological parameters may be significantly different. Considering the fact that the outcome is not worse in HIV-exposed babies and that most of these babies ultimately turn out to be HIV-uninfected, these babies should not be deprived of intensive care, whenever necessary.