CDC provides millions for HIV/AIDS prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that it will be awarding $339 million to state Health Departments for HIV prevention services (along with new treatment guidelines). This is all part of a new five year effort on behalf of the CDC to provide funds to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. In light of the data from the HIV treatment as prevention clinical trial (HTPN 052) published last year, this new approach seems like a good approach to reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the US.

HTPN052 was the clinical trial run by Dr. Myron Cohen at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this trial, researchers examined if HIV/AIDS treatment, called anti-retroviral therapy, given when patients were in the early stages -- while they were infected with HIV but had yet to develop AIDS -- could reduce the transmission of disease to uninfected partners better than if treatment were delayed until AIDS had fully developed. In other words, could current HIV/AIDS treatments be given earlier as a preventative agent to stop the spread of the virus to uninfected partners. Results from this clinical trial were stunning. (So stunning that these results earned this clinical trial the distinction of being named the Breakthrough of the Year! by Science Magazine). Researchers detected a 40% decrease in infection rate when the drug was given as a preventative manner. Although some issues regarding distribution and cost of these drugs still exist, these results could mark the turning point in HIV/AIDS infection rates.

For more information, visit:

the CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/HDFundingPressRelease.html

or information about the Breakthroughs of the Year by Science Magazine
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2011/1222sp_boy.shtml


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Lung cancer rates decline in the US!

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released the results of a study assessing smoking rates and the incidence of lung cancer in the US. While the incidence of lung cancer has been steadily declining in men over the past few years, in women, a decrease in incidence was evident for the first time. This decline in lung cancer correlated with a decrease in smoking rates in both men and women, indicating a link between smoking and lung cancer.

According to the CDC, smoking costs $193 billion, $96 billion in health related costs and an additional $97 billion in productivity loss due to illness and premature death.

For more information and access to the report, visit the CDC Vital Signs Adult Smoking web page. (or click here).


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