Long-term effects of HIV found

New treatments to improve the health of people suffering from HIV have meant that many patients are living longer with the disease, experts have indicated.

However, this has revealed more long-term challenges that HIV patients must face, according to Ohio State University Medical Centre.

Speaking to the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society, Syed Kadri from the university noted that HIV is now a different disease than in the past due to better therapy.

"The disease has gone from being an automatic death sentence to a chronic condition, and like all chronic conditions, it brings with it other complications that can seriously affect the lives of those who have it," he stated.

"HIV-positive patients are more susceptible to lung-related problems than HIV-negative individuals and that HIV-positive smokers are even more susceptible to developing early emphysema."

MR Kadri has called upon medical staff to encourage HIV-positive people to quit smoking.

The World Health Organisation estimates that there are 33 million people HIV-positive people in the world.

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