HIV and Hep C a Deadly Mix About AIDS

People who are infected with both hepatitis C and HIV are at dramatically increased risk for serious health problems from both diseases, and more likely to suffer sooner than a person who has only one of them. What's more, a very substantial portion of the HIV-infected population in the U.S. carries both, and the potential impact on their care is worrisome.

Dr. Douglas Deiterich of the New York University School of Medicine, a notable research physician in HIV/HCV co-infection studies, shared the latest findings with Austin clinicians and service providers at a lunch presentation last week. An estimated four million Americans have hep C, perhaps five to seven times as many as have HIV. In some HIV clinics, over 90% of new patients are co-infected. In Austin, over a third of the patients at the specialty David Powell HIV Clinic are co-infected, so this, like the HIV epidemic itself, is not just somebody else's problem: It's local.

As with treating HIV alone, the therapy picture is mixed and not particularly pretty. Some efficacy is seen with interferon plus an anti-viral, especially if infection is discovered early. Conversely, some of the commonly used HIV drugs are liver-toxic, and hepatitis damages the liver, too. Unfortunately, treating hepatitis C is in its infancy, and the likelihood of cirrhosis and cancer is staggeringly higher for co-infected people.

The call to HIV-positive folks: If you don't already know your hepatitis status, find out! Early and effective treatment is the key.

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-- Sandy Bartlett, Community Information/Education Coordinator AIDS Services of Austin ASA Info Line: 458-AIDS E-mail: [email protected]