A systematic review of cohort studies of the quality of life in HIV/AIDS patients after antiretroviral therapy

The aim of this paper was to review cohort studies that analyze changes in the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS. We searched the PubMed and EmBase databases from inception to December 2012 for primary cohort studies of the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS after combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Two independent reviewers screened and selected published studies of quality of life that had been followed up for more than 12 weeks after the beginning of cART. Data from the papers were analyzed to identify common characteristics of the effects of cART on the quality of life of HIV/AIDS patients. Eight cohort studies were found: only four were assessed as high quality and four were assessed as moderate quality. None of the studies described patient selection. Six studies followed the patients for one year or more, and the other studies for less than 6 months. Seven studies reported quality of life had been improved after initiation of cART, and one study reported no change. Previous research suggested that cART improved the quality of life of AIDS patients for a limited time, so further research for longer periods is needed to confirm this outcome.