Study Supports Earlier Treatment for HIV

Early treatment for HIV infection strengthens the immune system better than waiting, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at records for 468 adults with HIV infection. Levels of CD4 cells, a key part of the immune system, rose during the first 4 months of the estimated date of infection. Then they began to drop as the infection killed the cells. People started taking medicines, called antiretroviral therapy (ART), at different times. CD4 cell counts recovered in 64% of those who started ART within 4 months of infection and 34% of those who started later. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it January 16.