Assessment of quality of life in a cohort of newly diagnosed patients on HAART regimen, in resource restricted tribal region of chhattisgarh, India: a prospective study.
BACKGROUND
Highly active antiretroviral therapy regimens have resulted in the systemic/clinical healing for human immune deficiency virus-infected patients but the consequence of antiretroviral therapy on the whole quality of life has become a major concern. The current study correlates the relationship of quality of life with successful highly active antiretroviral therapy.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the health-related quality of life in human immune deficiency virus-infected patients on highly active anti-retroviral therapy regimen in tribal region of Chhattisgarh.


METHODS
An open label prospective study.


METHODS
Health-related quality of life was assessed using a standardized questionnaire, the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36. Physical health summary scores and mental health summary scores were compared of pre-Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (at baseline) and post 12 months of therapy.


RESULTS
The increase in CD4 cell counts was extremely significant (P < 0.0001). The Physical Composite Summary (P value = 0.0003) improved significantly, whereas the Mental Composite Summary (with a baseline value of 40.7), post 12 months, was calculated as 42.8 (P value = 0.2371) and was statistically not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Efficacy measurement is the key ingredient of highly active anti-retroviral therapy, which must also include assessment of health-related quality of life to maximize the holistic approach towards disease.
Department of Pharmacology, GGS Medical College, Faridkot, Punjab, India.
Harminder
H
Singh
Kamalpreet
K
Kaur
Navin
N
Dulhani
Akash
A
Bansal
Bithika N
BN
Kumar
Vinod Kumar Singh
VK
Chouhan
Health-related quality of life; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; Medical outcomes survey short form 36 questionnaire; Tribal HIV patients