What does HAART stand for?
View All. HAART is the acronym for "highly active antiretroviral therapy," a term coined in the late 1990s to describe the effectiveness of combination drug therapies used to treat HIV.
What is HAART for HIV?
Latesha Elopre, MD, is a board-certified internist specializing in HIV and an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. HAART is the acronym for "highly active antiretroviral therapy," a term coined in the late 1990s to describe the effectiveness of combination drug therapies used to treat HIV.
Why is it important to monitor HAART regimens?
Monitoring HAART regimens are essential to improve patient outcomes and reduce transmission of HIV, but medication management is a dynamic process that must be monitored by healthcare professionals. Proper utilization and adherence to a HAART regimen are essential to ensure a therapeutic response and prevent viral resistance.
What drugs are used in HAART?
Drugs Used in HAART. There are currently five classes of antiretroviral drug, each of which inhibits a specific stage in the HIV life cycle: entry or fusion inhibitors (which include CCR5 receptor antagonists) nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI/NtRTI)
What is HAART therapy used for?
HAART can control viral load, delaying or preventing the onset of symptoms or progression to AIDS, thereby prolonging survival in people infected with HIV. HAART has been in use since 1996 and has changed what was once a fatal diagnosis into a chronically managed disease.
What does the acronym HAART stand for?
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a treatment regimen typically comprised of a combination of three or more antiretroviral drugs. HAART may also be called antiretroviral therapy (ART) or combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).
What drugs are used in HAART therapy?
Drug Classes Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) Protease inhibitors (PIs) Integrase inhibitors (INIs)
What is the intention of HAART?
The standard treatment consists of a combination of drugs (often called "highly active antiretroviral therapy" or HAART) that suppress HIV replication. The combination of drugs is used in order to increase potency and reduce the likelihood of the virus developing resistance.
When is HAART therapy started?
Since the introduction of HAART in 1996 and 1997, there has been a significant decline in mortality and morbidity associated with HIV; following the introduction of HAART across Europe, death rates fell to one-fifth of their level before the introduction of HAART1 and mortality and morbidity have declined further as ...
When should HAART be initiated?
Although some HIV-infected pregnant women have conceived on HAART, a significant proportion initiate treatment during pregnancy, primarily to reduce the MTCT risk and the recommendations for when HAART is initiated vary from 10–12 weeks to by 28 weeks gestation.
What is HAART medication?
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a medication regimen used to manage and treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). It is composed of several drugs in the antiretroviral classes of medications. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, and contraindications for various HAART medications in the management of HIV. This activity will highlight the mechanism of action, adverse event profile, and other key factors pertinent to the interprofessional healthcare team members in the care of patients with HIV-1 and related conditions.
What is a HAART?
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a medication regimen used to manage and treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). It is composed of several drugs in the antiretroviral classes of medications. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, and contraindications for various HAART medications in the management ...
What is a HAART regimen?
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a treatment regimen typically comprised of a combination of three or more antiretroviral drugs. HAART may also be called antiretroviral therapy (ART) or combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). A key cornerstone of HAART is the co-administration of different drugs that inhibit viral replication by several mechanisms so that the propagation of a virus with resistance to a single agent becomes inhibited by the action of the other two agents. Management of a HAART regimen is a multifaceted process that should be administered by, or in consultation with, a provider with specific training as defined by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. This approach is central to optimizing patient care, as studies have demonstrated provider experience positively correlates with improved patient outcomes. [1][2][3][4]
How many classes of HAART are there?
There are six main classes of HAART agents that target different stages in the viral lifecycle. A fundamental cornerstone of HAART is the co-administration of different drugs that inhibit HIV replication by several mechanisms so that the propagation of a virus with resistance to a single agent is inhibited by the action of the other two agents. Some agents may be co-formulated to increase ease of patient compliance with these medications.
Why is a HAART regimen important?
Proper utilization and adherence to a HAART regimen are essential to ensure a therapeutic response and prevent viral resistance . Healthcare professionals should obtain a detailed history and screening before initiating a regimen and consider factors such as comorbid conditions (cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, renal dysfunction, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, psychiatric conditions, tuberculosis, drug abuse), desire to become pregnant, commitment to contraception usage, pill burden of the regimen, financial burden, prior HAART usage, and drug interactions. Patients living in a resource-limited setting with a history of substance misuse or a history of psychiatric illness are considered at high risk of non-compliance. Healthcare providers should be vigilant to ensure optimal health outcomes. [8][30][50][30]
How does HAART help with HIV?
Improve immune function. Reducing the transmission of HIV-1 to others is a primary goal of HAART. With the use of HAART, a reduction of HIV-1 RNA levels has been shown to reduce the risk of sexual transmission to partners to nearly zero in some studies, even among couples that engaged in condomless sexual acts.
Is HAART good for pregnant women?
A combination of these drugs is also available for uninfected patients who engage in high-risk behavior and has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV infection by more than 90%. For pregnant patients, the use of HAART is critical in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
What is HAART medication?
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a medication regimen used to manage and treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). It is composed of several drugs in the antiretroviral classes of medications. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, and contraindications for various HAART medications in the management of HIV. This activity will highlight the mechanism of action, adverse event profile, and other key factors pertinent to the interprofessional healthcare team members in the care of patients with HIV-1 and related conditions.
What is a HAART?
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a medication regimen used to manage and treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). It is composed of several drugs in the antiretroviral classes of medications. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, and contraindications for various HAART medications in the management ...
What is a HAART regimen?
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a treatment regimen typically comprised of a combination of three or more antiretroviral drugs. HAART may also be called antiretroviral therapy (ART) or combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). A key cornerstone of HAART is the co-administration of different drugs that inhibit viral replication by several mechanisms so that the propagation of a virus with resistance to a single agent becomes inhibited by the action of the other two agents. Management of a HAART regimen is a multifaceted process that should be administered by, or in consultation with, a provider with specific training as defined by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. This approach is central to optimizing patient care, as studies have demonstrated provider experience positively correlates with improved patient outcomes. [1] [2] [3] [4]
How many classes of HAART are there?
There are six main classes of HAART agents that target different stages in the viral lifecycle. A fundamental cornerstone of HAART is the co-administration of different drugs that inhibit HIV replication by several mechanisms so that the propagation of a virus with resistance to a single agent is inhibited by the action of the other two agents. Some agents may be co-formulated to increase ease of patient compliance with these medications.
Why is a HAART regimen important?
HAART regimens are essential to improve patient outcomes and reduce transmission of HIV , but medication management is a dynamic process that must be monitored by healthcare professionals. Proper utilization and adherence to a HAART regimen are essential to ensure a therapeutic response and prevent viral resistance.
What is the key cornerstone of HAART?
A key cornerstone of HAART is the co-administration of different drugs that inhibit viral replication by several mechanisms so that the propagation of a virus with resistance to a single agent becomes inhibited by the action of the other two agents.
How does HAART help with HIV?
Improve immune function. Reducing the transmission of HIV-1 to others is a primary goal of HAART. With the use of HAART, a reduction of HIV-1 RNA levels has been shown to reduce the risk of sexual transmission to partners to nearly zero in some studies, even among couples that engaged in condomless sexual acts.
What is structured intermittent therapy?
Another philosophically different approach is Structured Intermittent Therapy (SIT), defined as regularly scheduled periods off HAART regardless of blood test results. This strategy is not particularly aimed at autovaccination nor does it depend on autovaccination for its success. The purpose of SIT is to spare persons taking HAART as much drug as possible while maintaining clinical efficacy. The cost of medications would be reduced in proportion to the reduced need for them. In addition, it is hoped that substantial drug-free periods may slow, prevent, or reverse some of the toxicity associated with HAART and increase adherence, possibly extending the usefulness of HAART for individuals.
What is structured therapeutic interruption?
Structured therapeutic interruption (STI) means something different to almost everyone who writes or talks about it. In general there have been two approaches to STI: STI as salvage therapy and STI as immunotherapy. A third, slightly different strategy, is Structured Intermittent Therapy (SIT). [Ed. note: these new acronyms may be confusing in that STI in medical parlance is frequently used to refer to "sexually transmitted infections." For the purposes of this article, STI will refer to structured therapeutic interruption and SIT to structured intermittent therapy.] For more information on STI, see "Structured Treatment Interruption: Future Protocol or Wishful Thinking?" in BETA, Spring 2000.
Is STI a salvage therapy?
STI as salvage therapy has the goal of shifting a predominance of drug-resistant HIV to wild-type (drug-sensitive, i.e., no mutations) HIV in persons who have cycled through and failed treatment with the available antiretrovirals. The theory is that wild-type HIV is more "fit" and in the absence of selective pressure, i.e. drugs, the more fit drug-sensitive virus will outgrow the less fit drug-resistant virus. In this case, theory seems to match reality. In several studies of a single interruption of HAART, using phenotypic and/or genotypic drug susceptibility tests, by 8-12 weeks off medications, plasma virus that was predominantly drug-resistant becomes predominantly drug-sensitive in more than 90% of individuals. However, drug-resistant HIV seems to persist in cells. Thus, one would predict that with the reintroduction of selective pressure with HAART, the resistant HIV would return in time. Also, in all studies there is a significant increase in plasma virus and decrease in CD4 cell counts (often to life-threateningly low levels) indicating another aspect of more fit virus -- often it is more capable of causing disease. Therefore, it remains to be seen if STI as salvage therapy is a useful clinical strategy, although at this point it does not look promising. Extreme caution should be used with this approach in people with low CD4 cell counts.
Can you interrupt HAART?
We have discussed the possible benefits of interrupting HAART therapy, but there are some real and potential risks with any of these approaches. It is clear that interrupting HAART results in a substantial decrease in CD4 cell counts and a rapid and vigorous rebound of plasma HIV levels, at least during the first cycle off therapy. This is true even in studies of HAART as salvage therapy in which the viral load is already high and participants have clear resistance to the medications they are taking. While the CD4 cell counts usually return to their preinterruption levels when HAART is restarted, great caution should be used in persons with low CD4 cell counts. Moreover, it may take several months until they return to normal.
HAART stands for Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HIV and AIDS treatment)
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Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), currently known for its therapeutic benefits against HIV, also reduced the spread of the virus among people with a history of injection drug use, according to a population-based study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health.
What is the same mechanism of action as NsRTI?
tenofovir, same mechanism of action of NsRTI, DNA chain terminator
How to inhibit reverse transcriptase?
inhibit reverse transcriptase by binding a hydrophobic pocket close to active site, locking it in an inactive confirmation
What is the primary endpoint of HIV?
primary transmission endpoint: virologically-linked transmission events - when/was HIV transmitted from one partner to another -->treat HIV with antiretrovirals regardless of CD4 counts