Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28042354›Full record

ArticlePharmacy practice

Simplification of HAART therapy on ambulatory HIV patients in Malaysia:a randomized controlled trial.

Tineshwaran Velvanathan, Farida Islahudin, Benedict L Sim, Nur A Taha

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pharmacy practice. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. An international compendium of health state utilities in people with HIV: a systematic review.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Tineshwaran VelvanathanFaculty of Pharmacy, National University of Malaysia . Kuala Lumpur ( Malaysia ). tineshwaranv@gmail.com.
Farida IslahudinFaculty of Pharmacy, National University of Malaysia . Kuala Lumpur ( Malaysia ). faridaislahudin@ukm.edu.my.
Benedict L SimHospital Sungai Buloh. Sungai Buloh ( Malaysia ). limsim7@yahoo.com.
Nur A TahaFaculty of Pharmacy, National University of Malaysia . Kuala Lumpur ( Malaysia ). nurakmar@ukm.edu.my.
Hospital Sungai Buloh · MYNational Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage · MY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveEvaluate the impact of fixed-dose combination (FDC) containing emtricitabine (FTC), tenofovir (TDF), and efavirenz (EFV) versus a free-dose combination (FRC) of the same three drugs on clinical outcomes, adherence and quality of life in Malaysian outpatients with HIV.

methodsHIV patients (n=120) on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the infectious disease clinic of Hospital Sungai Buloh were randomized to either FDC (n=60) or FRC (n=60). Morisky scores, health-related quality of life scores and clinical outcomes such as CD4 count and viral load were assessed in both groups at baseline and six months.

resultPatients on FDC (108 SD=1.1) had a significantly higher CD4 count increase compared to the FRC group (746.1 SD=36.3 vs 799.8 SD=33.8) (p <0.001). The viral load profile was unchanged and remained undetectable in both groups. The quality of life EQ-5D scores showed a positive correlation with CD4 counts in the FDC group (ρ=0.301, p=0.019) at six months. On the other hand, quality of life EQ-VAS scores was significantly associated with medication adherence in the FDC group at six months (ρ=0.749, p=0.05). However, no significant changes or associations were observed in the FRC group.

conclusionManagement of HAART using an FDC demonstrated a positive clinical outcome, adherence and quality of life within six months in local HIV patients.

Indexed as

Anti-Retroviral AgentsAntiretroviral TherapyBenzoxazinesCD4 Lymphocyte CountDrug CombinationsEmtricitabineHighly ActiveMalaysiaTenofovirViral Load

Identifiers

PMID28042354
PMCPMC5184376
OpenAlexW2562234589

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.