Wednesday, June 26, 2013

HIV infection and muscle mass


Anabolic steroids are drugs derived from the male hormone testosterone. They promote muscle growth and increase lean body mass. Although anabolic steroids have many approved medical uses, they are abused by some athletes and others seeking to improve performance and physical appearance. These non medical uses are illegal and carry many health hazards.

Anabolic steroids are often used by people who weight train to improve the effects of training and for aesthetic reasons. They are usually used in four-week cycles, followed by a period off "treatment". Anabolic steroids are artificial (synthetic) versions of the male hormone testosterone that help build muscle. They also enhance masculine characteristics.

Because they can help the body to form lean muscle, they are sometimes used to treat wasting and weight loss caused by HIV, and doctors sometimes prescribe them to people experiencing fat loss from the limbs because of lipodystrophy. Testosterone supplements are also used to treat low testosterone levels which can develop in people with HIV due to HIV infection, some other infections, anti-HIV drugs and other medicines.

The anabolic steroids have been studied as a treatment for wasting caused by HIV, and have been shown to be safe and effective, helping the formation of lean muscle mass. To be most effective, anabolic steroid treatment should be combined with an exercise programme of resistance (weight) training. Studies have mostly been restricted to men because of concerns about the side-effects of steroid treatment for women.

Anabolic steroids can increase levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and other side-effects, so their use should be closely monitored particularly if you are taking a protease inhibitor or have any risk factors for heart disease.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances

Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances similar to the male sex hormone testosterone that promote growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male sexual characteristics.

Although most recently in the news for their misuse by professional athletes, anabolic steroids have legitimate medical application for men with low testosterone and people with certain types of anemia. Two anabolic steroids available in the United States, nandrolone decanoate and oxandrolone, have been used to help increase weight and muscle mass in small studies of people with wasting. Athletes can be sitting ducks for an endless list of scams aimed at them: protein supplements, vitamin or mineral supplements, steroid replacers, "muscle-building" powders, electrolyte pills and many other so-called ergogenic aids. Some athletes take dangerous, illegal drugs to try to gain a competitive edge. Others use sodium bicarbonate, caffeine, or other products. The term ergogenic implies that such products have special work-enhancing powers, but no food or supplement is really ergogenic.

An athlete who takes a nutrient supplement to improve performance can not be sure that it will deliver on its verbal promises. Supplements are not required to be tested for safety or effectiveness because they are a special case. FDA does not regulate supplements as it regulates drugs. FDA could question claims made by a drug manufacturer that their product “rams the body into turbo charge” or that it “deposits slabs of muscle bulk,” yet such claims for supplements shout from the pages of magazines that appeal to athletes. If the products were drugs, FDA would require clinical evidence of those turbo-charged bodies and muscle slabs and would also require proof of safety.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Aids and the mechanism for lipodystrophy

Aids in haemophiliacs is clearly related to the use of corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents used to prevent the development of antibodies to factors VIII and IX, and to treat chronic illnesses. In his textbook, Dr Fauci and his co-authors note that haemophiliac patients routinely receive immune suppressive drugs as part of their treatment. Patients with severe haemophilia have serious chronic joint problems resulting from bleeding inside the joints. This is invariably treated with steroids. Many haemophiliacs with AIDS are HIV-negative. Dr Peter Duesberg discovered 17 studies showing that, among a total of 717 patients with AIDS, 46 per cent were HIV-negative.

Aids in people receiving blood and tissue is related to the use of glucocorticoids to prevent the adverse reactions caused by transfusion and tissue rejection. Again, it is standard treatment to give such patients steroids.

Testosterone and its derivatives, anabolic steroids (AS) are being used by persons with HIV/AIDS (PHA's) to treat AIDs related wasting syndrome and also for bodybuilding purposes. some studies have shown that AS had a positive impact on the weight and well-being of HIV seropositive individuals. It has been shown that protease inhibitors (PI's) in combination with other antiretroviral HIV therapies are associated with a symmetrical loss of subcutaneous fat from the body surface (lipodystrophy)in some PHAs.

The mechanism for lipodystrophy is not well understood. However, it is associated with hyperlipidemia that contributes to central fat deposition, insulin resistance, and in some, type 2 diabetes. As well, increased visceral abdominal fat and loss of fat inthe arms, legs and face, and increased levels of serum lipids have been reported.The health effects of anabolic steroid therapy coupled with PIs has not been examined before. This study is an observational study investigating the phenomenon of lipodystrophy in an HIV population already exposed to AS and PIs. A prospective observational design will be employed, with two groups recruited. One group will be taking AS and PI's, the other will be taking PIs only.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Proteins to sustain life

All humans require protein to sustain life. It is the chief tissue builder and the basic substance of every cell in your body. You need protoin all through life for the maintenance and repair of body tissues.

Protein is made up of smaller units called amino acids. When foods are digested, the proteins are broken down into amino acids, which are then re­arranged to form the many special and distinct pro­teins in your body. The proteins in food are usually made up of eigh­teen or more different kinds of amino acids. Your body can make its own supply of more than half of these.

The others, called essential amino acids, must come ready-made from the foods you eat. The amino acid composition of protein determines Its nutri­tional value. Highest in value are proteins that supply all the essential amino acids in approximately the proportions needed by your body, funereally, these proteins are in foods of animal origin: meat, fish, poultry, egos, and milk. Proteins from grains, vegetables, and fruits sup­ply valuable amounts of many amino acids but lewder than do animal proteins.

Proteins from legumes, es­pecially soy beans and chickpeas, are almost as good as proteins from animal sources. For a bodybuiler's daily meals, only a portion of the protein needs to come from animal sources. Combin­ing cereal and vegetable foods with a little meat or other sources of animal protein will improve the protein value of the meal.

Examples of nourishing combinations are cereal with milk, rice with list, spaghetti with meat sauce, and vegetable stew with meat. Or you could simply have milk as a beverage along with foods of plant origin. It is good to have some food from animal sources at each meal.