Mortality Rates in the First Year of Treatment in Low- Versus High-Income Countries

Patients starting potent antiretroviral therapy in low-income countries have similar rates of virologic suppression and immunologic recovery as patients in high-income counties, but they still have higher initial mortality rates.

Two recent studies suggested that potent combination antiretroviral therapy can be as effective in low-income settings as in high-income ones (ACC Jan 18 2006 and ACC Aug 10 2005). Now, researchers have compared all-cause mortality rates in the first year after treatment initiation among 4810 patients in low-income countries and 22,217 patients in high-income countries. Patients in low-income countries were more likely than those in high-income countries to be female (51% vs. 25%), to start potent therapy at a lower median CD4 count (108 vs. 234 cells/mm³), and to receive an NNRTI-based regimen (70% vs. 23%).

Six months after treatment initiation, patients in low- and high-income countries had similar increases in CD4 counts (103 vs. 106 cel…

Reviewing Author

Keith Henry, MD

Mortality Rates in the First Year of Treatment in Low- Versus High-Income Countries

Topics

Reviewing Author