Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV Infection: When to Initiate Therapy, Which Regimen to Use, and How to Monitor Patients on Therapy.

Antiretroviral therapy is recommended for all patients with HIV infection. The benefit of immediate antiretroviral therapy was confirmed by results from the START (Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment) trial, which showed a 57% reduction in risk for the composite end point of AIDS-related events, serious non-AIDS-related events, or death from any cause with immediate treatment in antiretroviral therapy-naive participants with CD4+ cell counts above 500/µL. Other changes in HIV care include the widespread adoption of integrase strand transfer inhibitor-based regimens. Considerations regarding when to initiate antiretroviral therapy, which initial regimens to use, and appropriate monitoring of individuals taking antiretroviral therapy are discussed. This article summarizes an IAS-USA continuing education webinar presented by Steven C. Johnson, MD, in July 2015.