Another Study Supports Treating TB and HIV Simultaneously

The ideal time to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients with HIV infection and tuberculosis (TB) has been widely debated. On the one hand, starting the two therapies simultaneously could increase the risk for TB-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) and potentially harmful drug interactions. On the other hand, delaying ART could accelerate the progression of AIDS and increase the likelihood of additional opportunistic infections and AIDS-defining malignancies. In late 2008, preliminary results from a large randomized trial …