Excessive Early Mortality in the First Year of Treatment in HIV Type 1-Infected Patients Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy in Resource-Limited Settings

Abstract

The response to treatment and risk factors for early mortality following initiation of combination antiretrovirals (ARVs) in a cohort of African patients are described in a retrospective cohort design. Medical history, laboratory parameters, and mortality data were reviewed for patients initiating ARVs in 12 clinical centers in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Malawi. Among 3456 HIV-1-infected patients who received ARVs for more than 6 months, at baseline 72% had WHO clinical stages 3/4, 7% had a viral load 200/μl. One year later, 78% had undetectable virus loads and 79% had CD4 cell counts >200 cells/mm³. In the first year of HAART 260 deaths occurred (97 per 1000 person/years) with mortality peaking in the first 3 months. The highest mortality was observed in patients with low BMI, low hemoglobin levels, and CD4 values μl at baseline. Mortality rates following initiation of HAART are higher in patients in resource-limited areas, particularly in the first 90 days following treatment initiation. HAART initiated at higher CD4 cell count levels, especially among malnourished and/or anemic patients, will carry significant public health impact.