title: Switching effective antiretroviral therapy: a review.
abstract: One approach to target the long-term metabolic toxicity and disfiguring body-shape changes associated with antiretroviral therapy is to switch one component of a regimen to an alternative drug, usually from a different class of antiretrovirals. Most commonly, substitutions have involved protease inhibitors, but the thymidine analogue nucleosides, especially stavudine, have been investigated more recently. Certain trends from these studies have emerged. First, if the patient has had sustained viral suppression, switching therapy is generally virologically safe. Second, metabolic disturbances, such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, appear to be at least partially reversible. Substitution of other agents for protease inhibitors has not been associated with reversal or improvement in fat redistribution. Studies in which thymidine analogue reverse-transcriptase inhibitors have been switched have reported modest improvements in peripheral lipoatrophy. Larger, controlled, long-term studies and a more standardized approach to definition of metabolic and morphological abnormalities are needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Drechsler
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Powderly
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000209:etiology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors