highly active antiretroviral therapy
Noun: A specific and potent combination of drugs used to treat HIV infection. The therapy typically involves a regimen of multiple antiretroviral medications from at least two different classes, most commonly protease inhibitors combined with reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Its primary purpose is to suppress the HIV virus to very low levels in the body, thereby slowing the progression of the disease and improving immune function.
This term is used in medical, clinical, and public health contexts to refer to the standard, aggressive treatment for HIV/AIDS. - It is often abbreviated as HAART. - It describes a treatment strategy, not a single drug.
- The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy in the mid-1990s dramatically reduced AIDS-related mortality.
- Patients starting highly active antiretroviral therapy require regular monitoring of their viral load and CD4 count.
- Adherence to the complex regimen of highly active antiretroviral therapy is crucial for its long-term success.
- To be on HAART: This phrase describes a patient's current treatment status.
- After his CD4 count fell, he was started on HAART.
- HAART regimen: Specifies the particular combination of drugs prescribed.
- Her doctor adjusted her HAART regimen to minimize side effects.
- HAART: The universal acronym for this term.
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART): A broader term that may or may not refer to the specific, potent "highly active" combination. Modern standard ART is typically synonymous with HAART.
- Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART): A more modern synonym often used interchangeably with HAART.
- Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART)
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART) (in contemporary standard usage)
While "highly active antiretroviral therapy" is a specific noun phrase, its core meaning is fixed in the medical lexicon. It does not have phrasal verbs or idioms associated with it, as it is a technical compound term. Its meaning is distinct from monotherapy (using a single drug) or earlier, less effective combination therapies.
- a combination of protease inhibitors taken with reverse transcriptase inhibitors; used in treating AIDS and HIV