What is included in HAART therapy?

HAART is a customized combination of different classes of medications that a physician prescribes based on such factors as the patient’s viral load (how much virus is in the blood), the particular strain of the virus, the CD4+ cell count, and other considerations (e.g., disease symptoms).

What are the 3 antiretroviral therapy?

The starting antiretroviral therapy regimen for adults and adolescents with HIV is usually one of the following:

  • bictegravir/tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine (Biktarvy)
  • dolutegravir (Tivicay) plus tenofovir/emtricitabine (Truvada)

Is HAART still used today?

Today, the term HAART is less commonly used and has largely been supplanted in the medical literature by the simplified ART (antiretroviral therapy).

How long does HAART therapy take?

The median duration of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens was reported to be 11.8 months in one US study, but that study included both treatment-experienced and treatment-naive patients.

How many drugs are typically given during HAART treatment?

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) refers to a broad category of treatment regimens usually comprised of three or more antiretroviral drugs that, in previously untreated HIV-1-infected patients, are expected to reduce plasma virus levels below the limits of detection.

What are the drawbacks of HAART therapy?

The initial disadvantages of HAART included the need for strict adherence to prevent drug resistance, the cost that initially precluded their widespread use in the developing world, and the short- and long-term side effects.

How effective is HAART therapy?

HAART reduces mortality among adults infected with HIV. A randomized trial among HIV-infected adults with CD4 cell counts of < 200 cells/mm3 found a 57% lower mortality associated with HAART, compared with a regimen including 2 nucleoside analogues [1].

What are the two most common adverse effects of highly active antiretroviral therapy HAART?

Adverse Effects. The most common adverse effects associated with discontinuation of HAART are gastrointestinal. These commonly include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These events are usually nonspecific and may be difficult to distinguish as symptoms of the disease or adverse effects of treatment.

When should HAART be initiated?

Although some HIV-infected pregnant women have conceived on HAART, a significant proportion initiate treatment during pregnancy, primarily to reduce the MTCT risk and the recommendations for when HAART is initiated vary from 10–12 weeks to by 28 weeks gestation.