Antiretroviral Drugs Health Article

KEY TERMS

Antiviral drugs—Medicines that cure or control virus infections.

Bioavailability—A measure of the amount of drug that is actually absorbed from a given dose.

Immune system—The body's natural defenses against disease and infection.

Inflammation—Pain, redness, swelling, and heat that usually develop in response to injury or illness.

Insomnia—A sleep disorder characterized by inability to either fall asleep or to stay asleep.

Mutates—Undergoes a spontaneous change in the make-up of genes or chromosomes.

Pancreas—A gland located beneath the stomach. The pancreas produces juices that help break down food and secretes insulin that helps the body use sugar for energy.

Pregnancy category—A system of classifying drugs according to their established risks for use during pregnancy. Category A: Controlled human studies have demonstrated no fetal risk. Category B: Animal studies indicate no fetal risk, but no human studies; or adverse effects in animals, but not in well-controlled human studies. Category C: No adequate human or animal studies; or adverse fetal effects in animal studies, but no available human data. Category D: Evidence of fetal risk, but benefits outweigh risks. Category X: Evidence of fetal risk. Risks outweigh any benefits.

Retrovirus—A virus composed of ribonucleic acid (RNA) instead of deoxynucleic acid (DNA).

Virus—A tiny, disease-causing particle that can reproduce only in living cells.

PERIODICALS

Lipsky, James J. "Antiretroviral Drugs for AIDS." The Lancet 348 (September 21, 1996): 800.

Williams, Ann B. "New Horizons: Antiretroviral Therapy in 1997." Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care 8 (July-August 1997): 26.

ORGANIZATIONS

Project Inform. 205 13th Street, #2001, San Francisco, CA 94103. (415) 558-8669. <http://www.projinf.org>.

OTHER

AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service website and telephone information line. Sponsored by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and National Library of Medicine. 800-TRIALS-A (800-874-2572). <http://actis.org>.

HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service website and telephone information line. Sponsored by Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Resources and Services Administration, Indian Health Service, National Institutes of Health, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 800-HIV-0440 (800-448-0440). <http://www.hivatis.org>.

Project Inform National HIV/AIDS Treatment Hotline. 800-822-7422.

Samuel Uretsky, PharmD