Ugandans with HIV who begin treatment with higher CD4 counts can do quite well on therapy, countering beliefs that guidelines calling for earlier treatment may not play out well in practice, aidsmap reports. Publishing their findings in the journal AIDS, researchers conducted a prospective, open-label study of 197 asymptomatic, treatment-naive adults with HIV who had CD4 counts above 350 (the median was 564).

The participants were treated with tenofovir, emtricitabine and efavirenz, which are the components of Atripla. For those who could not tolerate efavirenz, that med was substituted with ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (Kaletra).

After 48 weeks, 98 percent of the participants were retained in the trial. The rate of full viral suppression was 96 percent at 24 weeks and 97 percent at 48 weeks. At 98 percent of their clinic visits, participants reported taking all their antiretroviral doses.

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