title: [Antiretroviral therapy].
abstract: Antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV, as we know it today, is nothing less than a huge success story in modern medical history. What used to be an almost certain death-sentence was transformed into a very manageable chronic disease by means of highly efficient und mostly well tolerated drugs. Today, HIV-infected patients treated according to international recommendations have a very good chance to outgo the negative effects of HIV-1 and are therefore able to reach an almost normal life expectancy. Furthermore, patients successfully treated with antiretroviral drugs are no longer infectious, which is an essential aspect of global strategies to overcome the pandemic. Nevertheless, due to the complexity of HIV, physicians treating patients with antiretroviral therapy require profound knowledge of aspects such as viral resistance mechanisms and immune reconstitution, as well as drug-toxicity und drug-drug-interactions. Many other aspects such as long-term side-effects of antiretroviral drugs are still unknown. Strict adherence to treatment is of utmost importance.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Infektionskrankheiten und Spitalhygiene, Universitätsspital Zürich (USZ), Universität Zürich.
authors.forename: Amrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Braun
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Infektiologie, Inselspital Bern.
authors.forename: Hansjakob
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furrer
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Infektiologie und Spitalhygiene, Universitätsspital Basel.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battegay
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Infektiologie und Spitalhygiene, Universitätsspital Genf (HUG).
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calmy
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Infektiologie und Spitalhygiene, Universitätsspital Lausanne (CHUV).
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cavassini
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich Infektiologie, Kantonsspital St. Gallen.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vernazza
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Infektionskrankheiten, Ospedale Regionale di Lugano.
authors.forename: Enos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bernasconi
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Infektionskrankheiten und Spitalhygiene, Universitätsspital Zürich (USZ), Universität Zürich.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Infektionskrankheiten und Spitalhygiene, Universitätsspital Zürich (USZ), Universität Zürich.
authors.forename: Huldrych F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Günthard
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002423:Cause of Death; D004347:Drug Interactions; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D061345:Early Medical Intervention; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D013557:Switzerland
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents