Treatment Action Campaign Chair Zackie Achmat's Doctor Says Heart Attack Not Caused by Antiretroviral Medication

South African HIV/AIDS advocacy group Treatment Action Campaign Chair Zackie Achmat, who is HIV-positive, on Monday said that he is "convinced" that the heart attack he experienced on Thursday was not caused by the antiretroviral medications he has been taking, News24.com reports (de Villiers, News24.com, 3/28). Achmat is recovering at home, according to TAC spokesperson Nathan Geffen, who added, "The doctor said [the heart attack] was unlikely to be related to his HIV and his antiretroviral treatment" (Reuters, 3/29). Dr. Jantjie Taljaard, head of the infectious diseases unit at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, said there is "no indication" that Achmat's three antiretroviral medications could cause heart problems, according to News24.com. According to Geffen, Achmat's heart attack likely was a result of his being overweight, getting little exercise and experiencing high stress levels (News24.com, 3/28).

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