Nutrition and HIV: A New Model for Treatment

Romeyn, a San Francisco internist specializing in HIV and nutrition, posits wasting, or starvation from within, as the enemy in opposing the advance of HIV infection. Already a grandmother when she began her internship in 1988, Romeyn exhibits here a remarkable combination of compassion, common sense and expertise. She explains clearly how HIV infection promotes wasting and why maintaining lean body mass is essential. She provides a self-help program for monitoring one's condition, improving one's appetite, taking the necessary supplements and dealing with special problems. A strong patient advocate and a proponent of aggressive and early treatment, she offers advice on the therapies currently available for fighting both the virus and secondary infections, choosing a doctor and a health-care plan, getting into new drug trials and using computer sources of information. Ten appendixes and a glossary pack in additional useful information. Although its focus is on nutrition, this is a truly comprehensive guide to combatting the ravages of HIV infection. (Oct.)