Category Archives: Treatment
Discontinuing pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia prophylaxis in HIV-infected patients with a CD4 cell count <200 cells/mm3
OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence for discontinuing primary and secondary Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) prophylaxis in HIV-infected patients with a CD4 count <200 cells/mm3. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a literature...
The effect of sexually transmitted co-infections on HIV viral load amongst individuals on antiretroviral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) markedly reduces HIV transmission, and testing and treatment programs have been advocated as a method for decreasing transmission at the population level. Little is known, however,...
Adherence to antiretroviral medications among persons who inject drugs in transitional, low and middle income countries: An international systematic review
Adherence to antiretroviral (ART) medication is vital to reducing morbidity and mortality among HIV positive persons. People who inject drugs (PWID) are at high risk for HIV infection in transitional/low/middle...
A meta-analysis investigating incidence and features of stroke in HIV-infected patients in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era
OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have suggested a close biological and clinical association between HIV infection and risk of myocardial infarction, whereas contrasting data have been reported about incidence of stroke and...
System factors as correlates of medication adherence in transplant and HIV populations: A systematic review
Purpose: Medication adherence (MA) is influenced not only by characteristics of the individual patient, but also by factors at the healthcare system level, i.e., micro- (e.g. healthcare worker, social support),...
A comparative systematic review of the optimal CD4 cell count threshold for HIV treatment initiation
HIV infection is no longer characterized by high morbidity, rapid progression to AIDS, and death as when the infection was first identified. While anti-retroviral drugs have improved the outcome of...
A systematic review of recent smartphone, Internet and Web 2.0 interventions to address the HIV continuum of care
eHealth, mHealth and “Web 2.0” social media strategies can effectively reach and engage key populations in HIV prevention across the testing, treatment, and care continuum. To assess how these tools...
Early versus delayed antiretroviral therapy for HIV and Tuberculosis co-infected patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
OBJECTIVE: To compare important clinical outcomes between early and delayed initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in adults who had a co-infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB). METHODS:...
Limited reporting of major harms in studies of initial combination antiretroviral therapy: A systematic review
OBJECTIVES: Risk-benefit assessment of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) requires consideration of all potential serious harms. Studies of initial cART may permit identification of associations between particular regimens and uncommon harms,...
Intimate partner violence and engagement in HIV care and treatment among women: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to estimate the odds of engagement in HIV care and treatment among HIV-positive women reporting intimate partner violence (IPV). DESIGN: We systematically reviewed the literature on the...
Retention in care prior to antiretroviral treatment eligibility in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of the literature
OBJECTIVE: We aimed at summarising rates and factors associated with retention in HIV care prior to antiretroviral treatment (ART) eligibility in sub-Saharan Africa. DESIGN: We conducted a systematic literature review...
Are there differences in disease progression and mortality among male and female HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy? A meta-analysis of observational cohorts
Studies examining the sex differences in morbidity and mortality among HIV/AIDS patients have yielded inconsistent results. We conducted a meta-analysis of sex differences in disease progression and mortality among HIV/AIDS...
