Antiretroviral for HIV causes premature aging

• April 25, 2024

A kind of antiretroviral drug used to treat the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) could cause premature aging , according to studies published in the medical journal Nature Genetics.

The researchers examined muscle cells from patients with HIV and found that zidovudine (AZT), one of the first drugs to fight AIDS, could damage the DNA of the mitochondria of cells.

The information published in Health Day, says that this discovery explains why some patients with HIV treated with antiretroviral show signs of aging premature and age-related diseases, such as dementia or cardiovascular disease.

"The DNA in the mitochondria it makes copies of itself for the rest of our lives, and according to we grow old , naturally accumulates errors, "commented the professor Patrick Chinnery , doctor and researcher of the Institute of Genetic Medicine at the University of Newcastle in England.

Scientists believe that this type of medication accelerates the speed of cell errors, however, remember that when they came to market, they helped people to extend their life expectancy for 10 or 20 more years than expected.

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