CD4 Counts Not Affected by Alcohol Consumption

Good news for me.

“Consuming alcohol doesn’t appear to have a deleterious effect on CD4 cell counts among people living with HIV receiving antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, according to a new Johns Hopkins University study published ahead of print by the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS). ‘Among individuals initiating ARV therapy,’ Geetanjali Chander, MD, MPH, and his colleagues write, ’the benefits of therapy and viral suppression on the immune system outweigh detrimental effects of alcohol, reinforcing the importance of initiating [HIV treatment] and ensuring adequate adherence to therapy…’ ”

via POZ