Background: High-level adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with favourable patient outcomes. In resource-constrained settings, however, there are few validated measures. We examined the correlation between clinical outcomes and the medication possession ratio (MPR), a pharmacy-based measure of adherence.
Methods: We analysed data from a large programmatic cohort across 18 primary care centres providing ART in Lusaka, Zambia. Patients were stratified into three categories based on MPR-calculated adherence over the first 12 months: optimal (> or =95%), suboptimal (80-94%) and poor (<80%).
Results: Overall, 27 115 treatment-naïve adults initiated and continued ART for > or =12 months: 17 060 (62.9%) demonstrated optimal adherence, 7682 (28.3%) had suboptimal adherence and 2373 (8.8%) had poor adherence. When compared with those with optimal adherence, post-12-month mortality risk was similar among patients with sub-optimal adherence [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 1.0; 95% CI: 0.9-1.2] but higher in patients with poor adherence (AHR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.4-2.2). Those <80% MPR also appeared to have an attenuated CD4 response at 18 months (185 cells/microl vs 217 cells/microl; P < 0.001), 24 months (213 cells/microl vs 246 cells/microl; P < 0.001), 30 months (226 cells/microl vs 261 cells/microl; P < 0.001) and 36 months (245 cells/microl vs 275 cells/microl; P < 0.01) when compared with those above this threshold.
Conclusions: MPR was predictive of clinical outcomes and immunologic response in this large public sector antiretroviral treatment program. This marker may have a role in guiding programmatic monitoring and clinical care in resource-constrained settings.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyp004 | DOI Listing |
J Health Popul Nutr
January 2025
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Mersin University, 33000, Mersin, Turkey.
Background: Food neophobia, characterized by the fear of unfamiliar foods, can be influenced by environmental, cultural, and genetic factors, leading to decreased consumption of novel or diverse foods. Understanding the impact of Mediterranean diet adherence and eating disorders on dietary behaviors is crucial, particularly for young adults who are developing lifelong eating patterns.
Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among food neophobia, Mediterranean diet adherence, and eating disorders in university students aged 18-24 years.
BMC Nutr
January 2025
Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Background: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) prevalence is rising worldwide, but optimal dietary strategies remain unclear. The eMOM pilot RCT compared a plant-protein rich Healthy Nordic Diet (HND) and a moderately carbohydrate restricted diet (MCRD) and their potential effects on time in glucose target range (≤ 7.8 mmol/L, %TIR), and on newborn body composition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Nurs
January 2025
Department of Nursing, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran.
Background: Nursing care is important and necessary for Acute Coronary Syndrome patients who have undergone angiography and stenting, to minimize complications. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of High-Quality Nursing Interventions on the quality of life and cardiac index of Acute Coronary Syndrome patients, treated with drug-eluting stents.
Methods: In this randomized trial, 70 patients of the cardiac intensive care units in one of Jahrom university of medical sciences hospitals (Iran) were selected from July 2023 to October 2023 by the available method, and randomly allocated (stochastic assignment) to two intervention (High-Quality Nursing Interventions) and control groups (routine nursing care).
BMC Health Serv Res
January 2025
AO Alliance, Stiftung, Switzerland.
Background: In low and middle-income countries like Ghana, out-of-pocket (OOP) payments remain a significant barrier to healthcare access, often leading to catastrophic health expenditures (CHE). This study evaluates the incidence of CHE among patients treated for long bone fractures at Ghana's major teaching hospitals, providing insight into the economic burdens faced by these patients.
Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 2,980 patients with long bone fractures treated at four major teaching hospitals in Ghana from July 2017 to July 2020.
Eur J Med Res
January 2025
Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China.
Background: Dementia is a growing public health concern with limited effective treatments. Diet may be a modifiable factor that significantly impacts brain health. Mediterranean diet (MeDi) has been suggested to be associated with brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) markers related to dementia, but the existing evidence is inconsistent.
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