Yoga lifestyle intervention reduces blood pressure in HIV-infected adults with cardiovascular disease risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: People living with HIV infection are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Safe and effective interventions for lowering CVD risk in HIV infection are high priorities. We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled study to evaluate whether a yoga lifestyle intervention improves CVD risk factors, virological or immunological status, or quality of life (QOL) in HIV-infected adults relative to standard of care treatment in a matched control group. METHODS: Sixty HIV-infected adults with mild-moderate CVD risk were assigned to 20 weeks of supervised yoga practice or standard of care treatment. Baseline and week 20 measures were: 2-h oral glucose tolerance test with insulin monitoring, body composition, fasting serum lipid/lipoprotein profile, resting blood pressures, CD4 T-cell count and plasma HIV RNA, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF)-36 health-related QOL inventory. RESULTS: Resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures improved more (P=0.04) in the yoga group (-5 +/- 2 and -3 +/- 1 mmHg, respectively) than in the standard of care group (+1 +/- 2 and+2 +/- 2 mmHg, respectively). However, there was no greater reduction in body weight, fat mass or proatherogenic lipids, or improvements in glucose tolerance or overall QOL after yoga. Immune and virological status was not adversely affected. CONCLUSION: Among traditional lifestyle modifications, yoga is a low-cost, simple to administer, nonpharmacological, popular behavioural intervention that can lower blood pressure in pre-hypertensive HIV-infected adults with mild-moderate CVD risk factors.

Factors associated with renal dysfunction within an urban HIV-infected cohort in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Kidney disease remains a prevalent problem in HIV care. The contribution of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HIV disease factors and traditional factors needs further evaluation. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of all patients seen at an HIV outpatient clinic during 2005 was performed. All data were collected from medical record review. Multivariate regression modelling was used to identify independent predictors of lower glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and chronic renal failure (CRF) from factors significant in univariate analysis. eGFR was calculated using the simplified modification of diet in renal disease equation. Results were compared with those for persons from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) matched for age, race and gender. RESULTS: Of 845 HIV-infected persons, 64% were men and 34% were Caucasian, and the mean age was 39.8 years. Thirty per cent of the patients had proteinuria and 43% had eGFR<90 mL/min/1.73 m2. Persons on HAART (63%) had a lower mean eGFR than those not on HAART (92.0 vs. 101.6). In multivariate analyses, significant predictors of eGFR decline were diagnoses of hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, proteinuria, use of tenofovir or stavudine, and lower viral load. Compared with those in NHANES, HIV-infected persons had a lower mean eGFR (94.9 vs. 104.2) and a higher prevalence of CRF (8% vs. 2%). CONCLUSION: In this cohort, the prevalence of CRF is low, but remains higher than that of the general population. Clinicians should routinely screen for early asymptomatic kidney disease to address risk factors that can be treated.

Evaluation of zinc bacitracin capsules versus placebo for enteric eradication of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium.

Patients who are colonized with enteric vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) are a major reservoir for transmission of and infection with this organism. In a randomized, controlled study to assess the effectiveness of high-dose bacitracin in the eradication of enteric VREF, 12 patients who were colonized with VREF were randomized to receive placebo (n=6) or orally administered zinc bacitracin (n=6) for 10 days. Posttreatment perirectal or stool cultures indicated that after 3 weeks, VREF had been eradicated from the stool of only 2 (33%) of 6 patients in each group. Of the 8 remaining patients who were still VREF-positive at 3 weeks after treatment, 5 (62%) had later evidence of spontaneous enteric eradication at 8 weeks. Further testing of VREF isolates revealed that a significant number (n=22, 76%) were resistant to bacitracin and that patients may have been colonized with multiple different VREF strains. Although bacitracin was not effective in the enteric eradication of VREF, the high rates of spontaneous eradication suggest that other host and environmental factors are more important in achieving long-term suppression or elimination of VREF colonization.