-CT HIV Legislative Alert-
Vitamins And Nutritional Supplements For HIV/AIDS
Why are vitamins and nutritional supplements important?
- A six year study of 296 HIV (+) men showed that there was a 31 percent reduction in the chance that subjects would progress to full blown AIDS diagnosis if they just took a daily multivitamin. [1]
- Research shows that HIV(+) people need 6 to 25 times the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) levels of essential nutrients to get healthy cellular levels of these nutrients, some of which are correlative with a decrease in infections and increase in survival. [2] , [3]
- Researchers demonstrated a clear relation between weight loss and an increased risk of individual opportunistic complications. "Our data demonstrate that weight loss of as little as 5% to 10% of body weight over 4 months is predictive of death and an increased risk of opportunistic complications, even those with no history of a previous or concurrent opportunistic complications." [4]
- Vitamin and Nutritional supplements can help boost the immune system, increase the effectiveness of HIV medications, and help manage the side effects of these drugs -- keeping people healthy and strong, out of the hospital, saving lives and needless medical expenses.
Why do we need legislation?
- Federal programs, like Ryan White Care Act, Title 1, do not allow for payment of much needed vitamins and nutritional supplements. Ryan White Title II individual client limits are grossly insufficient to cover the costs of these supplements plus the health care providers to prescribe them, as well as other medical expenses.
- Many other states, like our neighbor NY, provide these supplements to their citizens with HIV/AIDS.
- Certain vitamins and nutritional supplements may not be appropriate for all individuals and/or medical regiments, legislation that requires medical or naturopathic physician consent and prescription will help prevent individuals from attempting to experiment on their own.
- Providing these supplements can save Connecticut substantial dollars by keeping people healthy and strong, and out of the hospital and primary care facilities, as well as helping HIV medications work better, and lessen the impact of their side effects.
What can you do?
- Find out more about AN ACT CONCERNING PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF AIDS: Payment For Vitamins And Nutritional Supplements For The Prevention And Treatment Of AIDS Or HIV And Related Conditions. Call the Connecticut Positive Action Coalition to find out the current status of this legislation, and what you can do about it. (860) 247-1990
References
[1] Abrams, B. et al. A prospective study of dietary intake and AIDS in HIV-positive homosexual men. J AIDS (1993) 6:949-958.
[2] Baum, M, et al. Inadequate dietary intake and altered nutrition status in early HIV-1 infection. Nutrition (1994) 10(1):16-20
[3] Baum, MK, et al. Micronutrients and HIV-1 diesease progression. AIDS (1995) 9(9):1051-1056
[4] Wheeler DA, Gibert CL, Launer CA, et al. Weight Loss as a Predictor of Survival and Disease Progression in HIV Infection. J Acqui Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol (1998) 18:80-5