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 antire...

The dynamics of HIV replication and the high frequency of point mutations have proven to be the Achilles heel of HAART. These random mutations are the basis of therapy failure, regardless of the factors initially leading to failure – non-adherence, poor absorption, inadequate potency of the regimen and so forth. The technology to monitor and identify resistance has become available for clinicia...

Lipoatrophy (LA) is a common and now well-recognized complication of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Over the last decade as knowledge of the mechanisms behind LA has developed, several antiretroviral drugs, in particular, have emerged as the likely agents responsible for this complication. This has been supported by studies comparing alternative HAART regimens and by those in whi...

The number of people on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in South Africa has risen from < 2000 in October 2003, to almost 200,000 by the end of 2005. Yet South Africa's performance in terms of HAART coverage is poor both in comparison with other countries and the targets set by the government's own Operational Plan. The public-sector HAART "rollout" has been uneven across South Afri...