Giving a patient HIV drugs as soon as they are diagnosed could
be the future of treatment, say researchers. Currently,
antiretroviral therapy is given only once the immune system has
been seriously weakened by infection. A trial, in the New
England Journal of Medicine, showed that a year-long course of
therapy after diagnosis helped preserve the immune system and
keep the virus in check. It is thought that early treatment may
also reduce the spread of HIV. The virus is no longer a death
sentence for patients who get the best care and drugs. Treatment
is given once their CD4 T-cell count, a part of the immune
system, falls below 350 cells per cubic millimetre of blood.
However, there has been some speculation that starting as soon
as a patient is diagnosed may be more beneficial. The Spartac
study, which involved 366 patients from eight countries around
the world, tested the theory. Some patients were given 12 weeks
of drugs after being diagnosed, another group had drugs for 48
weeks after diagnosis and a thir