D epression, bereavement, various psychological factors and stress are co-factors of HIV disease progression. Stress leads to the release of cytokines, which through multiple neuro-endocrine pathways cause different immune complexes leading to multisystem effects. C ells need oxygen for survival. But the uncoupled single oxygen radical also causes oxidation damage to the cell. It is indeed an oxygen paradox of the cell.
Stress releases the free radicals.
In HIV, reactive oxygen species activate nuclear transcription factor KFKB, which is an obligatory factor for HIV replication. It also aids apoptosis of CD4 cells and thus helps disease progression. This multi-dimensional preventative and curative therapy is called Rasayana. Rasayana aims at prevention of ageing of the cell and destruction of the disease. Modern scientific medicine also believes that good diet, nutrition, proper lifestyle management, supportive family, good counseling, and stress control measures help reverse the damage already done to the immune system.