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

• Main Authors: Harminder Singh, Kamalpreet Kaur, Navin Dulhani, Akash Bansal, Bithika N Kumar, Vinod Kumar Singh Chouhan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2013-01-01
• Series: Journal of Global Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: Highly active antiretroviral therapy; Health-related quality of life; Medical outcomes survey short form 36 questionnaire; Tribal HIV patients
• Online Access: http://www.jgid.org/article.asp?issn=0974-777X;year=2013;volume=5;issue=3;spage=104;epage=109;aulast=Singh

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. Aim : 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. Design: An open label prospective study. Materials and 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. Conclusion: 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.