ARV/ART

A randomized control trial assessed HIV knowledge, treatment, beliefs and attitude of women who had previously received PMTCT (prevention-of-mother-to-child-transmission) [PMTCT] and were about to commence ART.

A major international randomized clinical trial has found that HIV-infected individuals have a considerably lower risk of developing AIDS or other serious illnesses if they start taking antiretroviral drugs sooner, when their CD4+ T-cell count—a key measure of immune system health—is higher, instead of waiting until the CD4+ cell count drops to lower levels. Together with data from previous studies showing that antiretroviral treatment reduced the risk of HIV transmission to uninfected sexual partners, these findings support offering treatment to everyone with HIV.

“More than 50% of HIV-infected adults in the US will be >50 years old in 2015……There is growing concern among patients and healthcare providers that this group is experiencing a premature or ‘accelerated aging’ process……We determined that HIV-infected older adults on effective ART (with suppressed HIV-1 viral loads) had diminished physical performance results when compared to normal reference controls…..Physical function was significantly diminished in older HIV+ persons when compared to reference standards for HIV- age/gender-matched controls. The magnitude of differences observed may be associated with poorer health, more disabilities, longer hospital stays, and higher costs, thus warranting intervention.”