People with AIDS, struggling to lead a normal life, go on Skiing holidays, enjoy sports and lifestyle choices like everyone else, should note a recent public announcement from FDA about the heart rhythm side effect of an HIV drug combination. On Feb 23, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced results of preliminary investigations, which suggest that Invirase (Saquinavir) when combined with Norvir (Ritonavir) may adversely affect the user’s heart. Preliminary reports show that the two drugs together may cause the QT and PR intervals on your heart’s electrocardiogram to show a prolongation. This may lead to a heart rhythm that’s technically abnormal and also cause a condition known as a heart block. This may cause users to feel lightheaded, dizzy, or have abnormal heart beats. This may even develop into the fatal ventricular fibrillation disease. The FDA is still reviewing more data, but the current results do show that patients using these two drugs may have a higher probability of heart problems like irregular and asynchronous heart beats. Especially if the patient has a history of QT interval disruptions, you should not be using the HIV drugs combo. Both, Genentech, maker of Invirase and a subsidiary of the Roche group, and Abbot Labs of Illinois, makers of Norvir, have been given early warnings about these results by the FDA. Invirase, approved in 1995, is an antiretroviral drug that is used to treat HIV in adults in combination with Norvir. It does not stop HIV, but may help prevent HIV related illnesses from occurring.