The publication on CD4 count being more important than undetectable viral load can be found in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. This study reviewed the cases of more than 17,000 HIV-positive patients and monitored 2,300 patients for five years.
It was observed that HIV-affected patients often seek medical help when they are already severely immune-compromised. Patients in the long-term study included those who started treatment when their CD4 levels were very low, at below 200.
CD4 Count is more Important than Undetectable Viral Load
Main observations:
- Majority of patients who did not respond to treatment eventually saw their HIV advance to stage four (AIDS) or died.
- Seventy-eight percent of these patients who received treatment but failed to see an improvement in their CD4 count or a drop in viral load developed AIDS and/or died.
- Patients who reached undetectable viral loads, but never saw their CD4 count rise, had more chance of becoming ill or dying from AIDS-related causes.
- Patients who were unable to lower their viral load to an undetectable level, but saw their CD4 count rise above 200 cells / mm3 had less chance of becoming ill or dying from the opportunistic diseases caused by AIDS.
It was concluded that although immune recovery and virological response are both important factors, recovering the immune system or increasing the CD4 count was emphasized as more important. HIV-affected persons who begin treatment when they are in advanced stages of the disease can nearly eliminate their risks of negative outcomes.
Those patients whose CD4 count increased and viral load became undetectable have reduced their risk of progression to AIDS or death at 5 years of follow-up to a mere two percent. It was therefore agreed that the disease progression can be fought even in the worst case.
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