Washington DC: A recent study has found that early antiretroviral (ARV) treatment at the time of diagnosis can lead to greater bone loss compared to ART postponement. The study included 399 participants (195 immediate ART and 204 postponed ART) for an average of 2.2 years.
Although the study revealed a negative effect on immediate ART bone density, the overall benefits of antiretroviral therapy to prevent HIV transmission and adverse health outcomes prevail.
It will be important to understand the long-term consequences of reducing bone mineral density associated with antiretroviral therapy and whether these reductions continue or stabilize with longer treatment.
Prof. Jennifer Hoy, lead author of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, said: “What we found was that onset treatment is also associated with accelerated bone loss of approximately 2-4%, and the rate of decline seems to be diminishing Then the first 2 years of treatment, compared to HIV-positive people who postponed treatment. ”
Adding: “We have no cure for HIV, so antiretroviral treatment is lifelong. A higher rate of bone loss may become important years later, in the context of an increased risk of frailty fracture.”
The study was published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
