A study at the Boston University School of Medicine has revealed that consuming alcohol may have an adverse effect on the CD4 counts of positive people who do not adhere to antiretroviral therapy.

Researchers observed the CD4 counts and the viral loads of 595 positive people who also struggled with alcohol addiction. While alcohol was shown to worsen the health of those not taking meds, it had no effect on those who did.

A similar study showing accelerated SIV progression in regularly intoxicated monkeys was published last fall.