| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
David M. Burd Canada had 28 AIDS deaths in 2007 compared to almost 15,000 for the United States. Since Canadians test to have HIV antibodies at half (1/2) the rate of their U.S. neighbor, and with adjustment for this, Canadians judged “HIV–positive” die from AIDS at 1/30 the rate of their U.S. HIV–positive counterparts. Canada’s 28 deaths from acquired immune dysfunction syndrome (AIDS) now occur at virtually the background rate before the term ‘AIDS’ was coined, and come from a variety of health conditions and drug addictions that have been with mankind forever. What is new is the acronym created in 1985. In fact, Canada is not alone in conquering AIDS deaths. Western European countries (and Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Rim including Japan and the Philippines) are all averaging AIDS mortality rates similar to Canada’s. So, how and why does the U.S. have such a stupendous AIDS mortality discrepancy? The answer is simple: In 1993, the United States Health Authorities created a new category of AIDS, comprising but two cofactors: The combination of a person being; 1) “HIV–antibody positive,” and 2) Having a low white blood cell count below an arbitrary threshhold (a threshhold that many completely healthy people, including superb athletes, would fail, in part because white blood cells normally reside in interstitial tissue and not in the bloodstream). Since 1993, this unique U S. category has risen to be over 90% of AIDS diagnoses. All other western nations: Canada, and European countries, Australia, etc., refused to adopt the unique U.S. AIDS definition that depends on low white blood cell counts. Since 1995, with the most risky anti–HIV drugs steadily discarded, these countries have had AIDS mortality falling steadily toward zero (For instance, Germany with 81 million people had but 73 AIDS deaths in 2007, echoing Canada). The result is that, even though many other nations have populations testing similarly to having ‘HIV antibodies”, few are determined to have “AIDS.” Thus, few are prescribed the strongest antiretroviral regimens, in contrast to the U.S. Springing from the unique U.S. category of AIDS, the treatment drugs inevitably bring side effects, unavoidably linked to the U.S. death toll. Corroborating these drug risks, a recent study by Danish health authorities was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and reviewed all those HIV+ in Denmark. This study found that 25% refused the offered anti–HIV regimens but nevertheless had the lowest mortality rates, with projected life expectancies close to the average Dane, despite being HIV+. The bottom line: Those in the U.S. deemed to have AIDS have only to cross into Canada for a second opinion. AIDS diagnoses, and deaths will dive towards zero. It’s that simple. And that evident. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||