Category Archives: Treatment
Task shifting for the delivery of pediatric antiretroviral treatment: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Pediatric antiretroviral treatment coverage in resource-limited settings continues to lag behind adults. Task shifting is an effective approach broadly used for adults, which some countries have also adopted for...
Association between vitamin D and hepatitis C virus infection: A meta-analysis
AIM: To evaluate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and sustained virological response (SVR) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected individuals. METHODS: Relevant studies were identified by systematically searching MEDLINE...
Antiretroviral regimens for patients with HIV who fail first-line antiretroviral therapy
BACKGROUND: Highly active antiretroviral therapy has reduced the morbidity and mortality of patients with HIV/AIDS. A common first-line ART regimen in low-resource settings includes a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)...
Cognitive-behavioural interventions for mood and anxiety disorders in HIV: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Mood and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and comorbid with HIV/AIDS. However, there is a paucity of research on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural interventions (CBI) for common mental disorders...
Association of genital human papillomavirus infection with HIV acquisition: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic review and a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies investigating the association of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HIV acquisition. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA...
Does epoetin alfa improve health-related quality of life in chronically ill patients with anemia: Summary of trials of cancer, HIV/AIDS, and chronic kidney disease
OBJECTIVES: Anemia, defined as having low levels of hemoglobin (HGB), is caused by disease-related (e.g., bone marrow suppression, nutritional deficiency) or treatment-related (e.g., chemotherapy, antiretroviral therapy) factors. Although epoetin alfa...
Does antiretroviral therapy improve HIV-associated cognitive impairment? A quantitative review of the literature
The development of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically improved survival for those living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but whether ART improves cognitive functioning remains unclear. The aim of the...
Non-physician clinician provided HIV treatment results in equivalent outcomes as physician-provided care: A meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: A severe healthcare worker shortage in sub-Saharan Africa is inhibiting the expansion of HIV treatment. Task shifting, the transfer of antiretroviral therapy (ART) management and initiation from doctors to...
No association of abacavir use with myocardial infarction: Findings of an FDA meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported an association between abacavir (ABC) exposure and increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) among HIV-infected individuals. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and a pooled analysis by...
Antiretroviral effects on HIV-1 RNA, CD4 cell count and progression to AIDS or death: A meta-regression analysis
OBJECTIVE: Governments, clinicians and drug-licensing bodies have adopted changes in CD4 cell counts and HIV-1 RNA levels as evidence of effectiveness for new therapeutic interventions. We aimed to determine the...
