HIV-positive adults living in high income countries have a significantly reduced risk of dying from AIDS-related illnesses compared with 10 years ago, a major new study has found.

They also have a reduced risk of dying from heart and liver diseases.

The study looked at almost 50,000 HIV-positive adults living in Europe, the US and Australia. All were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) to treat the disease.

The researchers from the UK found that deaths among HIV-positive adults due to AIDS-related causes had fallen by around 65% since 1999. Deaths from cardiovascular diseases had also fallen by 65%, while deaths from liver diseases had fallen by 50%.

However, there was no reduction in deaths from non-AIDS-related cancers. In fact, non-AIDS-related cancers are now the biggest cause of non-AIDS-related deaths in HIV-positive adults in high income countries, accounting for almost one in four deaths.

"These recent reductions in rates of AIDS-related deaths provide further evidence of the substantial net benefits of ART. But despite these positive results, AIDS-related disease remains the leading cause of death in this population," noted the study's lead author, Dr Colette Smith, of University College London.

She emphasised the importance of ART adherence and the early diagnosis of HIV.

"Continued efforts to ensure good ART adherence and to diagnose more individuals at an earlier stage before the development of severe immunodeficiency are important to ensure that the low death rate from AIDS is sustained and potentially decreased even further," Dr Smith added.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, The Lancet.