Virological failure in HIV-naïve patients with antiretroviral therapy: A perspective from pharmacological variables.

INTRODUCTION

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has been shown to improve long-term survival in patients with HIV. However, a considerable proportion of patients experience virologic failure during treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the relationship between polypharmacy, treatment changes, nonadherence, and failure to claim medication, and virologic failure in HIV patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Cross-sectional observational study with multivariate analysis in people with HIV undergoing antiretroviral treatment at a Colombian health institution between 2007-2022, in a census of 4441 patients, where a multiple binary logistic regression was performed with explanatory factors and crude and adjusted OR, confidence intervals and p were calculated.

RESULTS

The proportion of virologic failure was 28.1%. The adjusted model demonstrated that polypharmacy, treatment changes, non-adherence, and failure to claim medication were significantly associated with virologic failure.

CONCLUSION

Polypharmacy, treatment changes, non-adherence, and failure to claim medication explain virologic failure in HIV patients undergoing ART.