Sequential antiretroviral adherence measurement using electronic bottle cap monitors in a cohort of HIV-infected adults.

Most studies employing electronic bottle monitors to measure antiretroviral adherence are limited to 24 weeks of duration, providing a snapshot of adherence from a treatment course that may be lifelong. The stability of these measures in individual patients over time has not been previously described. We measured antiretroviral adherence using Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) caps in a patient cohort in 2004 and 2005 and repeated the measurement in 2008 and 2009. Forty-eight participants completed both monitoring periods. Mean adherence rates in the first and second periods were 74.2% and 68.9%, respectively. Adherence rates from the 2 periods for individual participants were highly correlated (Spearman rho = .66, P < .001).

Diarrhea associated with lopinavir/ritonavir-based therapy: results of a meta-analysis of 1469 HIV-1-infected participants.

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy is associated with adverse events (AEs). The most frequently reported AE associated with lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) containing regimens is diarrhea. The objective of this meta-analysis is to describe the incidence, prevalence, and duration of diarrhea in individuals taking LPV/r. METHODS: This is a meta-analysis of Abbott-conducted clinical trials. Inclusion criteria included prospective randomized clinical trials with the LPV/r tablet formulation and had AE data (moderate/severe diarrhea) available through 48 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Three trials (total 1469 participants) met the inclusion criteria. In all, 11.2% of participants reported moderate/severe diarrhea by week 8, with median time to resolution of 7.4 weeks. The overall 48-week incidence of moderate/severe diarrhea was 15.5%. The discontinuation rate due to moderate/severe diarrhea was 1.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate/severe diarrhea occurred in less than 1 in 6 participants taking LPV/r, typically started in the first 8 weeks of treatment and infrequently resulted in premature discontinuation.