Hello Mr Nelson,

Thank you for your time in caring and the promptness to your answers.

Quick question I understand most people develop bone/joint problems. Is there any supplements a + person can take to help minimize the problem?? Thank you.

We still do not know what the real incidence of bone density in HIV is. There are conflicting studies out there. We also do not know what the causes are but it seems that HIV's inflammatory effects may have something to do with it. So far we have seen no correlation between HIV medicines and bine density. Some meds decrease it in the first 1-2 years and then it stabilizes after that.

Good ways to keep your bones healthy are:

1- Work out with weights, machines, or just by doing push ups at home 2- Drink milk ifyou can, if not take Calcium supplements (1000 mg day has been shown to help in some studies, with Vitamin D) 3- Get a least 20 minutes of sun every day. Your body needs it to metabolize Vitamin D for bone health 4- Get your testosterone and thyroid hormone levels checked once a year to ensure they are ok. If not, have your doctor prescribe treatment 5- Ask your doctor to send you for a DEXA scan every two to three years to ensure that your bone density is OK. 6- If you have low bone density, do all of the suggestions above plus get a prescription for a medicine that can help you increase bone density. These drugs work very slowly, so it is always better to prevent the problem than to treat!