Highly active antiretroviral therapy associated with improved anemia amongHIV-infected women

Anemia is common during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and is associated with increased mortality. We conducted a study to examine the i mpact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on anemia in a multic enter cohort of HIV-positive women, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidem iology Research (HER) Study. Among women receiving HAART (n = 188), non-HAA RT monotherapy or combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) (n = 111), or wh o had no reported treatment (n = 62), the prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin, <120 g/L) at baseline was 38.3, 36.9, and 43.6%, respectively (p = 0.58) a nd at 1-year follow-up was 26.1%, 36.9%, 45.2%, respectively (p = 0.01); me an hemoglobin at baseline was 125 +/- 16, 122 +/- 16, and 122 +/- 18 g/L, r espectively (p = 0.29) and at 1-year follow-up was 128 +/- 14, 123 +/- 16, and 119 +/- 20 g/L, respectively (p < 0.0001). Adjusted linear regression m odels showed that HAART was associated with an increase of hemoglobin of 0. 20 g/L per month (p = 0.007). After 1 year of treatment, HAART was associat ed with a 32% reduction in anemia among HIV-infected women (p = 0.01), wher eas there was no significant change in the prevalence of anemia among those on non-HAART ART or those who had no reported treatment. HAART is associat ed with a large reduction in anemia among HIV-infected women.