Late HIV Diagnosis but Earlier Antiretroviral Treatment Initiation in Northwest Spain: Impact of Current Treatment Guidelines:

Background:Current HIV treatment guidelines recommend antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation for all HIV-infected individuals regardless of CD4 count. This study evaluates the immunological and virological status and the clinical characteristics of patients who have started ART in the last 8 years in the Northwest of Spain.Methods:All HIV-infected patients who have started ART between January 2009 and December 2016 at a reference hospital in the Northwest of Spain were included in this retrospective observational study. Epidemiological, clinical, and immunovirological features and antiretroviral drugs used for initiation were recorded. A statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 19 software. Categorical and continuous variables were compared by the specific statistical tests, and a logistic regression model was used to identify time associated with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categories change.Results:A high proportion of HIV-infected patients (66.7%) had initiated ART w...