Category Archives: Treatment
Initial highly-active antiretroviral therapy with a protease inhibitor versus a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor: Discrepancies between direct and indirect meta-analyses
BACKGROUND: The optimum treatment choice between initial highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with a protease inhibitor (PI) versus a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) is uncertain. An indirect analysis reported that...
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...
Geographic and temporal trends in the molecular epidemiology and genetic mechanisms of transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance: An individual-patient- and sequence-level meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND: Regional and subtype-specific mutational patterns of HIV-1 transmitted drug resistance (TDR) are essential for informing first-line antiretroviral (ARV) therapy guidelines and designing diagnostic assays for use in regions where...
CD4 enumeration technologies: A systematic review of test performance for determining eligibility for antiretroviral therapy
BACKGROUND: Measurement of CD4+ T-lymphocytes (CD4) is a crucial parameter in the management of HIV patients, particularly in determining eligibility to initiate antiretroviral treatment (ART). A number of technologies exist...
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),...
Experience of persistent psychological symptoms and perceived stigma among people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART): A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Advances in HIV care have resulted in increasing numbers of HIV patients receiving antiretroviral therapy and achieving viral control. This has led to a focus on the biomedical aspects...
Mobile phone text messaging interventions for HIV and other chronic diseases: An overview of systematic reviews and framework for evidence transfer
Background Strong international commitment and the widespread use of antiretroviral therapy have led to higher longevity for people living with human immune deficiency virus (HIV). Text messaging interventions have been...
