In addition to the hundreds of sessions delegates have to choose from this week, there are also hundreds of abstracts being presented. Almost 13,000 abstracts were submitted; two doctors from University of South Florida were among the 4,000 candidates chosen to present their research findings.

Dr. Frank Fernandez and Dr. Doug Shytle studied the possible psychiatric impact of antiretroviral HIV medication, specifically related to Alzheimer’s disease. Sound complicated? Well, it is, but it is also extremely important research. The medication available today allows many people to live long, relatively healthy lives. However, no one knows the long-term impact of these drugs. It’s no ones fault, really. Since AIDS has only been around for 25 years, this is the first generation that will deal with these type of questions.

While Fernandez and Shytle say they have a long way to go before they can make any conclusive links between the drugs and Alzheimers, their preliminary results are interesting. Their study shows that antiretrovirals increase the generation of a protein found in Alzheimer patients. This shows that the drugs may play a role in raising this protein level among people with HIV.

Like I said, it’s complicated, and the doctors say they have a long way to go, but it’s great to know that there are people doing this type of research right in the Tampa area.

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