Vancouver, B.C. [November 20, 2012] — HIV-positive individuals who strictly adhere to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) have a significantly lower probability of premature morbidity and mortality as compared to those with suboptimal compliance to HAART, according to a new study from the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE).
The study, published this week in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, investigated 3,543 HIV-infected individuals who were more than 19 years old and had never been on HAART when they started treatment between January 1, 2000 and August 31, 2009. Participants were followed until their death due to any cause, or if alive, until the last contact date or August 31, 2010, whichever came first. At the end of the follow-up period from 2000 to 2010, 499 (14 per cent) deaths were recorded.