ACRIA News

• ACRIA Study of SAM-e Published
• ACRIA Presents at Gerontological Society Scientific Meeting
• ACRIA Is Looking for New Community Advisory Board Members
• Free: HIV Treatment Education Technical Assistance Program: Capacity Building for New York City Community-Based Organizations

ACRIA Study of SAM-e Published

On November 11, 2004, the peer-review journal, BMC Psychiatry (www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpsychiatry), published results from ACRIA's independent pilot study of SAM-e (S-Adenosylmethionine) used to treat depression in HIV patients. ACRIA decided to study SAM-e because there are repeated reports of high levels of untreated depression in the HIV population. Many people are reluctant to add yet another drug with potential side effects to their already onerous anti-HIV drug regimens. Fortunately, our study showed promise with the use of this natural alternative (SAM-e). Publication in a peer-reviewed journal is a demanding process. Yet this process is essential; otherwise the results would not be known or trusted. Since the study results were promising, ACRIA is now planning to conduct a larger clinical study of SAM-e, possibly in older adults with HIV who have been diagnosed with clinical depression. There is still too little clinical data on the efficacy of this agent. Hopefully, our further examination of SAM-e will serve to confirm its potential benefits for people living with HIV.

ACRIA Presents at Gerontological Society Scientific Meeting

ACRIA's research staff was invited to present our seminal data on an over 50 HIV population at the 2004 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America November 19-23, 2004. This meeting represented the first time in the society's history to offer a symposium specifically on the aging HIV population. ACRIA was naturally very pleased to have played a central role in discussing this emerging topic of interest to gerontology researchers and care providers of older populations across the United States. ACRIA's presentations were:

• Socioeconomic Status: An Overlooked Factor When Describing Cognitive Function in Aging People Living with HIV; and
• Does Cognitive Function Impact the Well-being of Today's Aging HIV Population?

Anyone interested in reading the abstracts and viewing the PowerPoint slides used for these presentations can visit the Research section of www.acria.org.

ACRIA Is Looking for New Community Advisory Board Members ACRIA's Community Advisory Board (CAB) fosters partnership between the education staff and the local community impacted by HIV/AIDS. Involving community members in the development of our education programs ensures that community values and cultural differences are respected in ACRIA's educational work. Community Advisory Board members meet every other month, review program materials, and help us identify education needs. For more information about the CAB or if you are interested in volunteering at ACRIA, please call Mark Milano at (212) 924-3934 ext. 123.

Free: HIV Treatment Education Technical Assistance Program: Capacity Building for New York City Community-Based Organizations ACRIA offers a capacity building program for community-based organizations that provide services to people with HIV in New York City. The goal of the program is to help non-medical service providers incorporate accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date HIV treatment education and counseling into their agencies' work. This two-part program includes: A four-day HIV treatment information and skills-building training to be held March 21-24, 2005; and Ongoing follow-up support and technical assistance for each participating agency. ACRIA will work with participating organizations to share the information and skills acquired during the training with other staff and develop strategies to integrate treatment education into agency services. Participation in the training is limited to 25 people. For information about the program and how to apply, go to www.acria.org/treatment/nycta.html or call Donna Kaminski at (212) 924-3934 ext. 129.