Outcomes

The advent of HAART has dramatically decreased morbidity and mortality for patients with HIV such that HIV is now considered to be a chronic disease with life expectancies approaching that of noninfected persons with similar comorbidities.25 In the US, deaths caused by AIDS declined sharply in 1996 and 1997 when protease inhibitors were first introduced. Among a cohort of adults with advanced HIV infection, death rates decreased from 29.4 per 100 person-years in 1995 to 8.8 per 100 person-years by the second quarter of 1997. Morbidity has declined as well, as measured by the incidence of opportunistic infection.26 Current efforts are focused on improving ease of use and decreasing toxicity of HAART in hopes of enhancing the quality of life of those infected with HIV.

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