Failing Regimen? Make a Switch!

HIVers who remain on failing drug regimens for six months or longer before changing their treatment are more likely to develop serious drug resistance, experience progression to an AIDS diagnosis, or die of AIDS-related complications than patients who change their treatment sooner, according to a study in the journal AIDS. An analysis of almost 700 HIVers who experienced treatment failure found that 34% delayed changing their medications at least six months, while 20% waited more than a year, putting them at a substantially increased risk for poorer clinical outcomes and suboptimal responses to later treatment regimens. So if you're experiencing rising viral loads and falling CD4-cell counts while taking anti-HIV meds, talk with your doctors sooner rather than later about whether you should try a different, more effective combination.