Quick Facts About AIDS
May 3rd, 2007
- HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. This virus may be passed from one person to another when infected blood, semen or vaginal secretions come in contact with an uninfected person’s broken skin or mucous membranes (A mucous membrane is wet, thin tissue found in certain openings to the human body. These can include the mouth, eyes, nose, vagina, rectum and opening of the penis.
- HIV-infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their baby during pregnancy or delivery, as well as through breast-feeding.
- Some people infected with HIV will develop AIDS as a result of the HIV infection.
- HIV destroys a certain kind of blood cell (CD4+ T cells) which is crucial to the normal function of the human immune system. The loss of these cells in people with HIV is an extremely powerful predictor of the development of AIDS.
- Studies of thousands of people have revealed that most people infected with HIV carry the virus for years before enough damage is done to the immune system for AIDS to develop. However, sensitive tests have shown a strong connection between the amount of HIV in the blood and the decline in CD4+ T cells and the development of AIDS. Reducing the amount of virus in the body with anti-retroviral therapies can dramatically slow the destruction of a person’s immune system.
- There have been reports of some poor people who sold their blood and became infected with HIV.
- Researchers at Stanford University found that people with HIV infection and AIDS had low levels of glutathione and that the decrease in glutathione levels is a better indication of life expectancy than was a decrease in CD4+ T cells. The use of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant that increases glutathione levels, increased life expectancy.
Source : Herzenberg LA et al “Glutathione deficiency is associated with impaired survival in HIV disease” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (1997) 94:1967-72 - Survival rates were enhanced when HIV-infected adults and adults with AIDS, aged between 18 to 63 took a high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement, i.e. higher amounts of vitamins and minerals than the RDAs. In addition death rates dropped significantly when those with full-blown AIDS took their multivitamin/mineral.
Source : Jiamton et al “A randomized trial of the impact of multiple micronutrient supplementation on mortality among HIV-infected individuals living in Bangkok” AIDS (2003) 17:2461-2469 - Dr. Robert F. Cathcart’s clinical experience with large doses of intravenous vitamin C has seen good results in AIDs patients. Other nutrients he used includes CoQ10, selenium, B complex vitamins, alpha lipoic acid, zinc and cod liver oil. Dr. Cathcart is best known for his discovery of bowel-intolerance with vitamin C.
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