In the News

A worldwide drive to test one million people for HIV in the week ahead of World AIDS Day on Monday has been highly successful, a U.S. AIDS group said.

"Our One Million Tests campaign has been met with a wildly enthusiastic response in all corners of the world," said Terri Ford, director of global advocacy for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The United Nations estimates that 33 million people are living with HIV worldwide.

The campaign shows that the roadblocks of logistics, bureaucracy and stigma can be overcome to develop easily accessible HIV testing and better access to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment worldwide, said Michael Weinstein, the president of the foundation.

On Monday's 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, U.S. President George W. Bush said his goal of treating two million people with AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa over five years has been reached ahead of schedule, providing "hope and healing" to people worldwide.

In Uganda, health officials confronted the spread of the disease head on, offering pre-test counselling and testing to more than 1,900 people in a one-day event in the town of Masaka, south of Kampala.

Likewise, Latin American and Caribbean governments and non-governmental agencies committed to doing 45,000 free HIV tests. In Cambodia, more than 30,000 tests are expected to be done during the campaign.

Greying of AIDS in Canada

In Canada, success in fighting HIV has led to new and unexpected challenges. Some people infected with HIV who are now in their 40s and 50s are showing signs of rapid onset aging.

"Some days I feel a thousand," said David, 57, who has been living with HIV for 18 years — longer than he and his doctors thought possible when he was diagnosed. "Most times I feel like I'm in my 20s."

David, who doesn't want his last name used, deals with a host of other health complications, including double pneumonia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and atrial fibrillation.

"We see people who have increased risk of heart disease, heart attacks," said Dr. Ann Stewart, medical director at Casey House, a hospice in Toronto for people with HIV/AIDS. "We see people who have increased risk of diabetes. We see increased cases of renal failure, kidney failure. We see folks who get osteoporosis."

A 2006 study of New Yorkers over 50 living with HIV by the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America confirmed that many are also dealing with depression, arthritis, hypertension and vision loss.

Accelerated aging

It's not clear what causes the symptoms of rapid onset aging. Doctors said they've been so preoccupied with saving lives and treating HIV alone that they weren't anticipating what they're seeing now.

"I think it's a combination of HIV, something to do with the virus, and the virus definitely has an effect on causing immune suppression, which I think accelerates aging," said Dr. Gordon Arbess of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

"The other thing is the medications, especially the older medications to treat HIV, are associated with low testosterone, hormonal changes."

David said he's not going to let the health complications stop him from planning for the future, including celebrating his father's 80th birthday and, in the long term, dancing at his granddaughter's wedding.

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www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/12/01/world-aids-day.html

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