Relationships among neurocognitive status, medication adherence measured by pharmacy refill records, and virologic suppression in HIV-infected persons.

Background: Optimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) effectiveness depends on medication adherence, which is a complex behavior with many contributing factors, including neurocognitive function. Pharmacy refill records offer a promising and practical tool to assess adherence.

Methods: A substudy of the CHARTER (CNS HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy Effects Research) study was conducted at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the University of Washington.

Pharmacokinetic and metabolic effects of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in healthy volunteers receiving the HIV protease inhibitor indinavir.

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is prevalent among HIV-infected patients to reduce the toxicity of antiretroviral therapy. Ginseng has been used for treatment of hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, a common side effect of some HIV-1 protease inhibitors (PI). However, it is unknown whether American ginseng (AG) can reverse insulin resistance induced by the PI indinavir (IDV), and whether these two agents interact pharmacologically.

Interactions between natural health products and antiretroviral drugs: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects.

Concurrent use of natural health products (NHPs) with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) is widespread among human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. This article reviews the clinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between NHPs and ARVs. Many NHPs are complex mixtures and are likely to contain organic compounds that may induce and/or inhibit drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters.

A programmable prompting device improves adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected subjects with memory impairment.

Background. Patients cite "forgetting" as a reason for nonadherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We measured the effect of a memory-prompting device on adherence to HAART in memory-intact and memory-impaired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects.