Dear Dr. Moyle, Thanks for answering my previous question on hiv and cancer risk. I have also read in a medical journal that in western countries where HAART is readily available, in major cities like NYC or London, every year nearly 1000 peopel die of AIDS. Doesn't that seem to be a very high number? I know we don't have cumulative evidence to correctly comment on life expectancy of hiv infected individuals but I am wondering why the doctors are speculating that a near normal life span can be expected despite these obviously high numbers of patients lost to AIDS. My best wishes and thanks to you..

People still die with HIV, as you rightly say, but many fewer die because of HIV. Amongst large cohorts of people with HIV deaths related to HIV assocated opportunistic disease typically acounts for 40% or less of deaths. These are often related to HIV malignancies, especially lymphoma, or in persons who have extensively resistant virus and have run out of options. The remaineder of deaths in HIV persons are typicall related to other diseases, hepatitis leading to liver disease, non-HIV cancers and heart or kidney disease, the common diseases of aging. Hence this forum..... regards Dr Moyle