January 11, 2006—POZ has learned that the three-year-old treatment interruptions study known as Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (SMART) has discontinued its “no treatment” arm because participants in that group showed a higher incidence of AIDS-related events than those on meds. The study’s Steering Committee has stopped recruitment, according to Cal Cohen, MD, the SMART principal investigator, and recommended that all subjects start taking their meds. “The punchline is that the risk of serious events was doubled from about 1.5% to about 3% a year” in the off-meds group, Cohen told POZ. “Until we understand better who can stop meds safely and who can’t, we advise people on meds not to stop taking them. If you don’t feel well on your meds, try to find other meds.” SMART patient follow-up continues.