graft versus host disease, says Dr. JingMei Hsu, the patient’s physician at Weill Cornell Medicine. The combination of cord blood and her relative’s cells might have spared her much of the brutal side effects of a typical bone marrow transplant, Hsu notes.
Despite that, Deeks says cord blood transplants to cure HIV aren’t likely to become commonplace.
“These are stories of providing inspiration to the field and perhaps the road map,” he tells the Times.
Worldwide, nearly 38 million people have HIV, and about 73% are receiving treatment with antiretroviral drugs. But a cure is viewed as the only way to end the decades-long HIV pandemic.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with HIV
According to the CDC, in addition to getting the proper treatments and keeping up with your medications; you can maintain a healthy lifestyle with HIV through the following:
Eat Healthy
Healthy eating is good for your overall health and can provide several benefits:
- Provides the energy and nutrients your body needs to fight HIV and other infections.
- Maintains a healthy weight.
- Manages HIV symptoms and complications.
- Improves absorption of medicines and helps manage potential side effects.
If you are unsure of where to start, talk to your health care provider about your diet. You can also request a referral to a dietician or nutritionist that can help you come up with a specific meal plan.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise can help you maintain good physical and mental health. Exercise on a regular basis, provides the following benefits:
- Increases your strength, endurance, and fitness.
- Reduces the risk of depression.
- Helps your immune system work better to fight infections.
If you have HIV, you are perfectly capable of doing the same exercises as people without HIV.
People with HIV can do the same types of exercise as people who do not have HIV. Find a fitness routine that you enjoy. Make exercise fun and commit to exercising.