Antiretroviral drugs

Antiretroviral Drugs

Antiretroviral drugs (pronunciation: an-tee-ret-ro-vi-ral drugs) are a class of medications used specifically for the treatment of HIV and AIDS. The term "antiretroviral" derives from the type of virus (retrovirus) that HIV is, and the action of the drugs to combat it.

Etymology

The term "antiretroviral" is derived from the family of viruses known as retroviruses. "Anti-" is a prefix denoting against, while "retrovirus" refers to any group of RNA viruses, including HIV, which insert a DNA copy of their genome into the host cell in order to replicate.

Types of Antiretroviral Drugs

There are several types of antiretroviral drugs, each of which has a different way of inhibiting the life cycle of the virus. These include:

• Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)
• Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)
• Protease Inhibitors (PIs)
• Fusion Inhibitors
• CCR5 Antagonists
• Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors (INSTIs)

Usage

Antiretroviral drugs are used in combination therapy, known as Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), to manage HIV infection. This therapy can significantly slow the progression of the disease, improve quality of life, and reduce the risk of HIV transmission.

Side Effects

Like all medications, antiretroviral drugs can cause side effects. These can range from mild, such as nausea and fatigue, to severe, such as liver damage or heart disease. It's important for individuals taking these medications to be closely monitored by their healthcare provider.

Related Terms

• Retrovirus
• HIV
• AIDS
• Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)
• Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)
• Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)
• Protease Inhibitors (PIs)
• Fusion Inhibitors
• CCR5 Antagonists
• Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors (INSTIs)

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Antiretroviral drugs
• Wikipedia's article - Antiretroviral drugs

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