HAART improves cerebral bloodflow

[wtfimpoz]

http://www.natap.org/2010/CROI/croi_49.htm

Anyone wanna comment on this?  The study in January showing that our bloodflow was that of someone 20 years older has gotten a huge amount of attention.  This one, not so much.  Does anyone note any glaring experimental omissions, or should we call this another reason to initiate HAART sooner rather than later?

[Inchlingblue]

I think this does add more ammunition to the "start meds earlier" camp but still does not definitively answer the question.

For me the take home messages here are 1) starting HAART before too much damage is done is a good idea and 2) exercising is key for anyone but especially for someone with HIV.

Physical activity has been known to improve cerebral blood flow. The brain is an elastic organ so one should take advantage of lifestyle choices that can help improve its function.

I work out pretty regularly but the other day I jogged for the first time in over 25 years! I'm 48 and did 1.66 miles. My thigh muscles hurt the next day but in a good way and right after the jog I felt elated and invigorated. I'm pretty sure my cerebral blood flow must have improved.

I have since then done another 1.66 miles and have been noticing that I'm feeling more mentally sharp.

I realize not everyone can or should jog, it would depend on one's level of cardiovascular health, but some form of exercise is important for everybody.

A 4-year study of the relationship between physical activity and cognition and brain function in subjects aged 62 to 70 years showed that those who were still employed and retirees who exercised regularly had sustained levels of cerebral blood flow and superior performance on general measures of cognition compared with inactive retirees.

LINK:  http://www.artsandopinion.com/2010_v9_n2/barclay.htm

[Jeffreyj]

In my case, not so much

[wtfimpoz]

In my case, not so much

why do you say this?

[Hellraiser]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on when to start meds.  This a choice I never got the opportunity to come to, but I like to think I would've started early.  Unless you fall into the elite controller camp the body has demonstrated over and over again that it is unable to handle an HIV infection on its own.  HAART will deal with most of the active infection.  This to me trumps any significant advantage of holding off on meds to the point that I would start medicating as soon as I was infected.  I know that there is a jaded past with the drugs, but I feel that the modern meds are well tolerated.

I have the feeling that if the disease is still around in 30 years the suggestion will be to start medicating as soon as infection occurs.  I'm not a medical professional and feel free to take my opinion for what it is, pure intuition, but I think that holding off on fighting your disease aggressively with modern medicine is folly.  The only time I would tell someone to wait is if they were unsure they could reliably obtain meds due to financial concerns.  The shaky nature of ADAP at the moment is at the forefront of this particular concern.