Treatment Breaks Increase AIDS Complications

Until more research is available to show who can safely take treatment breaks, researchers advise all HIVers to avoid treatment interruptions and change to better-tolerated antiretrovirals if they're having problems adhering to prescribed regimens. Researchers reached the conclusion after having to halt the Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy trial, launched in 2003 in 33 nations, when early trial data showed drug breaks doubled participants' 1.5% incidence rate of AIDS-related complications to 3% per year.9.