Almost 20 Years Later and Magic Johnson is Still Going Strong...

[DaN K. StAnLeY]

I was just reading a Wiki about Magic Johnson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Johnson

I remember thinking as a kid "Man! That sucks, this dudes checking out in a couple of years" and here I am not too far from 30 and Magic is still going strong. I was wondering how much longer it is possible for him to live? What is the longest someone can live with HIV and how much longer before we get a cure? How far off are we from being able to treat HIV with something that would enable us to live with it well into our "golden years"?

I realize that some of these questions aren't possible to answer with certainty, but I'm always amazed at how much info I get from JAQing.

 

[Puppycow]

Can't resist

 

[DaN K. StAnLeY]

Can't resist

That episode says it all! Seriously, how is this possible?

 

[Puppycow]

Well, a treatment has been developed that seems to prolong life for people infected with HIV.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS#Antiviral_therapy

Antiviral therapy

Current treatment for HIV infection consists of highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART.[100] This has been highly beneficial to many HIV-infected individuals since its introduction in 1996 when the protease inhibitor-based HAART initially became available.[12] Current optimal HAART options consist of combinations (or "cocktails") consisting of at least three drugs belonging to at least two types, or "classes," of antiretroviral agents.
. . .
[M]any HIV-infected individuals have experienced remarkable improvements in their general health and quality of life, which has led to the plummeting of HIV-associated morbidity and mortality.[106][107][108] In the absence of HAART, progression from HIV infection to AIDS occurs at a median of between nine to ten years and the median survival time after developing AIDS is only 9.2 months.[34] HAART is thought to increase survival time by between 4 and 12 years.[109][110]