艾滋病毒感染者預期壽命可接近正常人

Young people on the latest HIV drugs now have near-normal life expectancy because of improvements in treatments, a study in The Lancet suggests.

《柳葉刀》上的一項研究表明，由於治療的改善，現在服用最新HIV藥物的年輕人有着接近正常人的壽命。

Twenty-year-olds who started antiretroviral therapy in 2010 are projected to live 10 years longer than those first using it in 1996, it found.

研究發現，於2010年開始抗逆轉錄病毒治療的20來歲的人，預計比1996年首批使用抗逆轉錄病毒治療的人要多活10年。

Doctors say that starting treatment early is crucial to achieve a long and healthy life.

醫生表示，早期治療對於實現長期生存和健康生活至關重要。

The study authors, from the University of Bristol, said the extraordinary success of HIV treatments was a result of newer drugs having fewer side effects and being better at preventing the virus from replicating in the body. It is also more difficult for the virus to build up a resistance to the most recent drugs.

來自布里斯托大學的該研究的作者表示，HIV治療的巨大成功得益於更新的藥物，它們的副作用更少，更有利於阻止病毒在體內複製。病毒對於最新的藥物也更難產生耐藥性。

Improved screening and prevention programmes and better treatment of health problems caused by HIV are thought to have helped, too.

另外，得到改善的篩查工作和預防計劃，以及對由HIV引起的健康問題的更好治療也被認爲起到了幫助作用。

But many people with HIV still do not live as long as expected, especially those infected through injecting drugs.

但是，仍有很多HIV感染者的壽命仍然不達預期，尤其是那些通過注射毒品感染的人。

Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, who chairs the Royal College of GPs, said: "It's a tremendous medical achievement that an infection that once had such a terrible prognosis is now so manageable, and that patients with HIV are living significantly longer.

就職於英國皇家家庭醫師學院的海倫·斯托克斯-蘭帕德教授表示：“曾經無法治癒的疾病現在可以控制了，這是醫學上的一個巨大成就，HIV病人現在活得明顯更久了。”

"We hope the results of this study go a long way to finally removing any remaining stigma associated with HIV, and ensuring that patients with HIV can live long and healthy lives without experiencing difficulties in gaining employment and - in countries where it is necessary - obtaining medical insurance."

“我們希望這項研究的結果能夠最終化解任何關於HIV的殘留污名，確保HIV病人能夠長壽健康，在就業的時候沒有困難，在有必要的國家獲得醫保。”