Calcium and High-dose Vitamin D Supplementation on Bone Mineral Density Among HIV-infected Children and Adolescents

Since there is no cure for HIV, therefore antiretroviral therapy must be taken life-long. Some of the HIV medications can negatively impact the health of the bone and is even more exacerbated in perinatally HIV-injected children and adolescents because this is the period when the bone peaks. Bone loss during this period can be devastating and increase the risk for developing weak bones later in life. Supplementation of calcium and vitamin D have not been well studied in HIV-infected children and adolescents in developing countries. Therefore it is not clear whether higher doses of these supplementations can thwart the damages or not.