AIDS Drugs Harm
Liver
AIDS
patients already endure drug treatment that can be difficult to follow.
Now, a new study has found that a particular medication may increase their
risk of suffering liver
damage.
Researchers at Johns
Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Md., over two years studied 211
AIDS patients who were taking four types of AIDS medications called
protease inhibitors: ritonavir,
saquinavir,
indinavir
and nelfinavir.
Scientists also looked at 87 patients undergoing treatment with a
different class of AIDS medications called nucleoside analogs. All
patients' livers were monitored during the study
period.
Study results show liver
toxicity was five times higher in patients taking ritonavir compared with
other patients, researchers report in the Jan. 5 Journal of the
American Medical Association. Researchers add that AIDS patients who
are also suffering from hepatitis
C are three times more likely to experience liver toxicity while
taking any of the protease inhibitors than AIDS patients who did not have
hepatitis C.
Doctors should
continue to prescribe protease inhibitors for their patients, researchers
stress. Patients can take these drugs safely, researchers say, as long as
their livers are closely
monitored. |
