Dr. Young thanx for answer recently. Still one question to go and I will be happy. I do think many readers of this fab site do wonder about the same issue. Could you recommend which vitamin supplement the best is for people living with HIV. Nowadays I hear a lot of vitamin d. Maybe you could recommend a multivitamin brand. It is confusing to figure out which one is the best. Thanx Roy from Amsterdam

Hello Roy and thanks for the follow up.

I actually don't recommend one vitamin brand over another- most are very similar, and most tend to over promote the differences between products. Just buy from a reputable source, and don't spend too much.

You're right that I do recommend vitamin D (and calcium) supplementation for most individuals. This is because of the dramatically high rates of poor bone density in positives and the low intake levels of vitamin D and calcium in most adults in the Western world. The Institute of Medicine's 2010 recommendations for dietary intake is a good starting point. We'll measure vitamin D levels in all of our patients at baseline and annually if the initial test was abnormal. Also , we recommend weight bearing exercise, smoking cessation and testosterone level testing in patients concerned about bone health. Note that screening for bone health (via risk estimate calculators, such as FRAX, or by direct measurement via DEXA scan) is now recommended for many people living with HIV.

I hope that's helpful, BY