United Press International - September 24, 2008

STANFORD, Calif., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say early initiation of anti-retroviral therapy and immune system monitoring provides cost-effective human immunodeficiency virus monitoring.

Dr. Eran Bendavid of Stanford University and colleagues developed a computer model to compare three types of HIV monitoring strategies for starting, switching and stopping highly active anti-retroviral therapy, or HAART.

The researchers said they determined early initiation of antiretroviral therapy and monitoring using the CD4 count -- a measure of immune system function -- instead of being based on symptoms appears to provide health benefits in low- and middle-income countries.

The researchers found monitoring CD4 counts every six months and beginning treatment when CD4 counts reached 200 cells per microliter was associated with an additional 6.5 months of life expectancy and a reduction in lifetime medical costs of $464 per person.

"Our analysis shows that, where HAART is available, CD4 count monitoring with earlier treatment initiation provides a substantial increase in life expectancy ... while reducing total expenditures for HIV infection.

The study appears in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

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