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AIDS and Diabetes
Mar 29, 2000

My brother, a diabetic since childhood, has been diagnosed with full blown AIDS. Could you talk in general about the affects of appetite loss on one with diabetes and how that disease may complicate AIDS treatment?

Response from Dr. Fisher

Not sure that preexisting diabetes has much impact on HIV/AIDS if the HIV is kept under control. We do see people with HIV develop diabetes; frequently requiring treatment for the diabetes as time goes on. HIV and the antiretrovirals may worsen the control of preexisting or concurrent diabetes through a mechanism of insulin resistance. This may complicate your brother's case as he is probably taking insulin already. There are meds to specifically treat this. One of these meds, rezulin, was just taken off the market because of liver toxicity. But others are available...metformin, avandia, actos.

Alvan Fisher, M.D.



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