Medical Condition Human Immunodeficiency Virus (hiv) Disease

Source:

2009 icd-9-cm diagnosis 042 - human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) disease

Active Ingredients used for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Disease:

Aloe, Coenzyme Q10, Dhea, Flaxseed And Flaxseed Oil, Licorice And Dgl, Melatonin, Selenium, Turmeric And Curcumin, Vitamin A, Zinc

Active Ingredient	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
aloe (aloe vera)	without further human trials, the evidence cannot be considered convincing either in favor or against this use of aloe.	c
coenzyme q10	there is limited evidence that natural levels of coq10 in the body may be reduced in people with hiv/aids. there is a lack of reliable scientific research showing that coq10 supplements have any effect on this disease.	c
dhea	although some studies suggest that dhea supplementation may be beneficial in patents with hiv, results from different studies do not agree with each other. there is currently not enough scientific evidence to recommend dhea for this condition, and other therapies are more proven in this area.	c
flaxseed and flaxseed oil (linum usitatissimum)	there is a lack of strong evidence available in this area, and no recommendation can be made without further research.	c
licorice (glycyrrhiza glabra l.) and dgl (deglycyrrhizinated licorice)	early studies suggest that glycyrrhizin may inhibit hiv replication in patients with aids. however, human reports are lacking. additional study is needed to make a firm recommendation.	c
melatonin	there is a lack of well-designed scientific evidence to recommend for or against the use of melatonin as a treatment for aids. melatonin should not be used in place of more proven therapies, and patients with hiv/aids should be treated under the supervision of a medical doctor.	c
selenium (se)	selenium supplementation has been studied in hiv/aids patients, and some reports associate low selenium levels with complications such as cardiomyopathy. it remains unclear if selenium supplementation is beneficial in patients with hiv, particularly during antiretroviral therapy.	c
turmeric (curcuma longa linn.) and curcumin	several laboratory studies suggest that curcumin, a component of turmeric, may have activity against hiv. however, reliable human studies are lacking in this area.	c
vitamin a (retinol)	the role of vitamin a in the prevention, transmission, or treatment of hiv is controversial and not well established. a clear conclusion cannot be formed based on the available scientific research.	c
zinc	patients with hiv/aids, especially those with low zinc levels, may benefit from zinc supplementation. some low-quality studies cite reduction in infections, enhanced weight gain, and immune system function, including increased cd4 and cd8 cells. however, other low quality studies conflict with these findings. further research is needed before a conclusion can be drawn.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.