Home |
Current Issue |
Past Issues |
In the Clinic |
ACP Journal Club |
CME |
Collections |
Audio/Video |
Mobile |
Subscribe |
Tools |
Help |
ACP Online
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Summaries for Patients are a service provided by Annals to help patients better understand the complicated and often mystifying language of modern medicine.
SUMMARIES FOR PATIENTS
Comparison of Survival among HIV-Infected and Noninfected People in Denmark, 19952005
16 January 2007 | Volume 146 Issue 2 | Page I-39
Summaries for Patients are presented for informational purposes only. These summaries are not a substitute for advice from your own medical provider. If you have questions about this material, or need medical advice about your own health or situation, please contact your physician. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the American College of Physicians.
The summary below is from the full report titled "Survival of Persons with and without HIV Infection in Denmark, 19952005." It is in the 16 January 2007 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 146, pages 87-95). The authors are N. Lohse, A.-B.E. Hansen, G. Pedersen, G. Kronborg, J. Gerstoft, H.T. Sørensen, M. Væth, and N. Obel.
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
![]()
Human immunodeficiency virus is the cause of AIDS, an illness that interferes with the body's ability to fight infection and some types of cancer. Human immunodeficiency virus passes from person to person through contact with blood or other body fluids that contain the virus. Treatments containing multiple drugs have dramatically improved health outcomes for HIV-infected patients. These treatments are known as HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy). Before the availability and widespread use of HAART, people with AIDS usually died of an infection or cancer related to HIV infection. With HAART, fewer people with AIDS succumb to these conditions. They live longer now than in earlier years when HAART was not available, and many people eventually die of causes unrelated to HIV infection.
Why did the researchers do this particular study?
![]()
To compare the survival of people with HIV infection with those without HIV infection over the past decade during which HAART became standard care for HIV infection.
Who was studied?
![]()
3, 990 HIV-infected patients in a large study of HIV infection in Denmark. The authors matched each HIV-infected patient with up to 99 noninfected people in the general population to assemble a group of 379, 872 population controls. The controls had the same sex, date of birth, and geographic residence as the HIV-infected patient to which they were matched. Of note, unlike the United States, Denmark provides treatment with HAART free of charge to citizens with HIV infection.
How was the study done?
![]()
Using the Danish National Death Registry, the researchers collected information on date of death (if death occurred) through May 2005 for HIV-infected patients and population controls. Using this information, they estimated the average number of years that a person lived beyond age 25 years. They compared survival for HIV-infected patients and controls in 3 periods of different HAART availability: before HAART (1995 to 1996), early HAART (1997 to 1999), and standard HAART (2000 to 2005).
What did the researchers find?
![]()
Overall, during 1995 to 2005, HIV-infected patients lived about 20 years beyond age 25 compared with about 51 years for the general population. However, during 2000 to 2005 when HAART had become standard treatment, patients with HIV lived about 33 years beyond age 25 years.
What were the limitations of the study?
![]()
The results might not apply to countries that do not make HAART widely available to any citizen with HIV infection. Because HAART has only been available for about 10 years, the study was unable to determine whether the benefits would be similar for people who used HAART for longer than 10 years.
What are the implications of the study?
![]()
The life expectancy of a young person diagnosed with HIV infection is much longer now than it was before HAART became standard treatment. However, people with HIV infection still have a shorter life expectancy than do people in the general population, so we need more effective treatments.
Related articles in Annals:
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
N. Obel, F. N Engsig, L. D Rasmussen, M. V Larsen, L. H Omland, and H. T Sorensen Cohort Profile: The Danish HIV Cohort Study Int. J. Epidemiol., September 17, 2008; (2008) dyn192v1. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. Schillaci, G. V.L. De Socio, G. Pucci, M. R. Mannarino, J. Helou, M. Pirro, and E. Mannarino Aortic Stiffness in Untreated Adult Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Hypertension, August 1, 2008; 52(2): 308 - 313. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. K. Grinspoon, C. Grunfeld, D. P. Kotler, J. S. Currier, J. D. Lundgren, M. P. Dube, S. E. Lipshultz, P. Y. Hsue, K. Squires, M. Schambelan, et al. State of the Science Conference: Initiative to Decrease Cardiovascular Risk and Increase Quality of Care for Patients Living With HIV/AIDS: Executive Summary Circulation, July 8, 2008; 118(2): 198 - 210. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. Bhaskaran, O. Hamouda, M. Sannes, F. Boufassa, A. M. Johnson, P. C. Lambert, K. Porter, and for the CASCADE Collaboration Changes in the Risk of Death After HIV Seroconversion Compared With Mortality in the General Population JAMA, July 2, 2008; 300(1): 51 - 59. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Battegay, J. Fehr, U. Fluckiger, and L. Elzi Antiretroviral therapy of late presenters with advanced HIV disease J. Antimicrob. Chemother., July 1, 2008; 62(1): 41 - 44. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C M Wilcox and M S Saag Gastrointestinal complications of HIV infection: changing priorities in the HAART era Gut, June 1, 2008; 57(6): 861 - 870. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Patel, D. L. Hanson, P. S. Sullivan, R. M. Novak, A. C. Moorman, T. C. Tong, S. D. Holmberg, J. T. Brooks, and for the Adult and Adolescent Spectrum of Disease P Incidence of Types of Cancer among HIV-Infected Persons Compared with the General Population in the United States, 1992-2003 Ann Intern Med, May 20, 2008; 148(10): 728 - 736. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. S Wierzbicki, S. D Purdon, T. C Hardman, R. Kulasegaram, and B. S Peters Review: Clinical aspects of the management of HIV lipodystrophy The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease, May 1, 2008; 8(3): 113 - 119. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E J Beck, S Mandalia, M Youle, R Brettle, M Fisher, M Gompels, G Kinghorn, B McCarron, A Pozniak, A Tang, et al. Treatment outcome and cost-effectiveness of different highly active antiretroviral therapy regimens in the UK (1996-2002) Int J STD AIDS, May 1, 2008; 19(5): 297 - 304. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. C. Persad, R. F. Little, and C. Grady Including Persons With HIV Infection in Cancer Clinical Trials J. Clin. Oncol., March 1, 2008; 26(7): 1027 - 1032. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. P. Vandenbroucke, E. v. Elm, D. G. Altman, P. C. Gotzsche, C. D. Mulrow, S. J. Pocock, C. Poole, J. J. Schlesselman, M. Egger, and for the STROBE initiative Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE): Explanation and Elaboration Ann Intern Med, October 16, 2007; 147(8): W-163 - W-194. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Lohse, A.-B. E. Hansen, J. Gerstoft, and N. Obel Improved survival in HIV-infected persons: consequences and perspectives J. Antimicrob. Chemother., September 1, 2007; 60(3): 461 - 463. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Serious Non-AIDS Conditions: Redefining the Spectrum of HIV-Related Disease AIDS Clinical Care, July 30, 2007; 2007(730): 1 - 1. [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
Survival in HIV-Infected Patients AIDS Clinical Care, March 12, 2007; 2007(312): 2 - 2. [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
Life Expectancy with HIV: Increasing but Not Normal Journal Watch (General), January 30, 2007; 2007(130): 5 - 5. [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
Expected survival exceeds 35 years for young Danes with HIV BMJ, January 27, 2007; 334(7586): 178 - 178. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||