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Background: World’s statistics show the fast growth of prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in all over the world. A great deal of studies relevant to the all effective factors of HIV/AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome), some parts of them related to nutrition. Disability to eat and digest foods and to absorb nutrients from food is one of the results of weakness and wasting of all HIV infected patients. This kind of weakness affects to intensification of signs of disease and increase risk of opportunistic infections. Nutritional and metabolic factors significantly affect morbidity and mortality of HIV/AIDS patients. The progression of disease in human body is causing to stimulate the immune system and increase the oxidative stress and also decrease the antioxidants level of plasma. Consequently using diversity diet or antioxidant supplementation as an effective and no expensive treatment is useful along the other clinical treatments to improve immune system and welfare the patient’s status. In this review article we try to examine studies which are related to the effect of antioxidants on the immune system and finally the effects of them on progression of disease in HIV infected patients.

Chronic diseases such as diabetes and vascular disease are a major public health problem in Lebanon, where primary care is not well developed. This study aimed to describe the incidence and indications for limb amputation in Lebanon and identify associated factors (age, sex, level of surgery, length of hospital stay). There were 1.6 amputations per 10 000 persons. The rate of amputation was highest in southern Lebanon at 3.8 per 10 000. The most important indication for surgery was diabetes (59%). Diabetic patients were older (mean age 73 years versus 30 years), more likely to have major surgery (OR = 7.87; 95% CI: 2.83-21.9) and stay in hospital longer (RR = 4.56, 95% CI: 2.41-8.64) than patients with trauma-related amputation. Diabetes prevention, detection and management should be prioritized in any attempt to reduce the current incidence of amputation in Lebanon.