Mortality-trend observation in HIV/AIDS patients under antiretroviral therapy at a referral hospital in Beijing, China

Aim: To study the mortality trends of HIV-1-infected patients from 2005 to 2014; to compare the mortality rate between the periods 2005 and 2010 and 2011 and 2014; and to understand the effect on mortality of initiating combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) at different baseline CD4 cell counts. Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated mortality among HIV-1-infected adults initiating cART during 2005–2010 and 2011–2014 at Beijing Ditan Hospital, China. Result: Data from 3057 patients were studied. During 2005–2010 and 2011–2014, median baseline CD4 cell counts were 143 and 245 cells/μl, respectively, and mortality rates were 3.7 and 2.1%, respectively. These differences were significant. Conclusion: The reduction in mortality during 2005–2010 and 2011–2014 was driven by higher baseline CD4 cell counts at cART initiation.