Glossary

minor mutation – a drug resistance mutation that have a big impact on whether a drug continues to work. This used to be called a secondary mutation.

symptom – a sign of illness.

coronary heart disease (CHD) refers to the three main arteries that supply blood from the heart.

A coronary by-pass is a surgical operation to provide a new route for blood to reach the heart when coronary arteries become blocked.

surrogate marker – A surrogate marker is when something that is easy to measure is used as a marker for something that is difficult to measure directly.

The CD4 count doesn’t directly measure HIV. But it is a good surrogate (or indirect) marker for how HIV has damaged your immune system. It is closely linked to the risk of HIV-related complications.

Viral load in blood is a good surrogate marker for levels of HIV in your body overall including in other body sites.

MSM – men who have sex with men.