New Guidelines For Antiretrovirals

A panel of experts has updated guidelines for HIV therapy, in responseto new data on the use of antiretrovirals in combination. The guidelines are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (June 25).

The guidelines recommend that patients should begin antiretroviral therapy earlier in the course of the disease than before, with the stated goal of reducing viral load to below detectable levels. They note that the most effective treatment is a triple drug regimen, including two nucleoside analogs and one protease inhibitor, taken early in the infection and indefinitely thereafter.

The initial drugs chosen should be carefully selected after collaboration between patient and physician, and the physician should recommend a strategy that takes into account the patient's ability to comply with the strict regimens demanded by triple therapy. The importance of viral load monitoring in all caregiving settings was also emphasized.