'HIV Patients On Antiretroviral Drugs May Not Need Regular Lab Tests, Study Says'

From The Advocate.

Patients with HIV who aren't monitored with the expensive laboratory tests commonly used in rich countries may survive just as long as those who do get the tests, a new study says.

In a paper published in The Lancet medical journal Friday, experts found only a slight difference between the survival rates of HIV patients on antiretrovirals who were monitored with laboratory tests and those who weren't. Lab tests can be an early indication of problems in HIV patients that aren't yet obvious. . . .

As drugs to combat AIDS have been distributed across developing countries, some doctors worry that without lab monitoring, patients will either die earlier or develop drug resistance faster. But based on the evidence to date, that has not happened. . . .

''Waiting for the perfect lab infrastructure to be ready before rolling out antiretroviral therapy means that millions of people will die,'' Kates said. ''This study says we shouldn't wait.'' . . .

''Laboratory monitoring shouldn't be the priority while we've got less than half of people who need treatment still waiting for it,'' Phillips said. . . .

''In an ideal world, you would want lab support everywhere,'' said AIDS expert Gilks. ''But right now we need to continue to roll out the medicines because that is what's going to save lives.'' (Maria Cheng, AP)