| BackgroundMany effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on Human Immunodeficiency Virus infected persons/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome patients (HIV/AIDS patients) have been shown by the clinical practice, such as ameliorating signs and symptoms, improving the health related quality of life (QOL), and postpone the morbidity. However, but it was not broad consensus due to the evaluation index and evalustion method, which restrict the generalize using of TCM. In 2004, Chinese government put forward the National TCM HIV Treatment Trial Program (NTCMTP), and Henan province was one of the first to carry out it. There were three batches of HIV/AIDS patients, totaled 4590 individual, enrolled the NTCTP of Henan province in 2004,2006 and 2009. All of these make it possible to study the long time effect evaluation of TCM treatment for HIV/AIDS.ObjectiveClinical epidemiological method was used to analysis the the survival and QOL of HIV/AIDS patients in Henan province, and then evaluate the therapeutic effect of TCM.MethodsTaking the’information system for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS’and’database of traditional Chinese medicine treatment of HIV/AIDS project’as data sources, we collected information of HIV/AIDS patients from October 2004 to October 2012 in the NTCMTP area by historic cohort study. The grouping variable was whether the HIV/AIDS patients enrolled in NTCMTP or the time enrolled in NTCTP. The cumulative mortalities of HIV/AIDS patients were calculated by life table method, and the difference of the mortalities in two groups was compared by Kaplan-Meier. The hard ratio (HR) of the effectors on the mortality was identified by Cox proportional hazard model.Based on historic cohort study, we randomly sampled the HIV/AIDS patients as the investagated individual, and the quality of life (QOL) of HIV/AIDS was assessed by using WHOQOL-HIV BREF. The difference of QOL scores of HIV/AIDS in TCM group and Non-TCM group was compared by independent t test; the effectors on the QOL of HIV/AIDS patients were analyzed by multiple linear regression.ResultsThe study individuals were the HIV/AIDS patients lived in the NTCMTP area, which were identified HIV positive before September 30th,2004 and aged between 18 to 65 years. The 8-year cumulative mortality of HIV/AIDS patients in the TCM therapy group was 22.3%, lower than the 25.3%mortality of HIV/AIDS in the non-TCM group. Male, older age, less education, taking highly antiretroviral therapy (HAART) at beginning of the cohort, not taking HAART at end of the cohort and lower CD4 T cell counts were risk factors of death.The study individuals were the HIV/AIDS patients lived in the NTCMTP area, who were identified HIV positive before September 30th,2004, aged between 18 to 65 years and taking HAART between September30th,2003 to September 30th,2004. The 8-year cumulative mortality of HIV/AIDS patients in the TCM therapy group was 22.6%, lower than the 29.2%mortality of HIV/AIDS patients in the non-TCM group. Male, older age, less education, and lower CD4 T cell counts were risk factors of death.The study individuals were the HIV/AIDS patients who were identified HIV positive between October 30th,2003 and October 30th,2004, aged between 18 to 65 years, taking HAART before October 30th,2009 and enrolled in NTCMTP in 2004,2006 and 2009. The 3-year cumulative mortality of HIV/AIDS patients enrolled in NTCMTP in 2004 was 5.1% and the mortality density was 1.75/100 person-years; The 3-year cumulative mortality of HIV/AIDS patients enrolled in NTCMTP in 2006 was 9.1% and the mortality density was 3.18/100 person-years; The 3-year cumulative mortality of HIV/AIDS patients enrolled in NTCMTP in 2009 was 11.0% and the mortality density was 3.82/100 person-years. The longer time enrollment in NTCMTP, the lower mortality of HIV/AIDS patients. Older age, taking HAART more time, lower CD4 T cell counts were risk factors of death of HIV/AIDS.The QOL scores of HIV/AIDS TCM therapy group were higher than the HIV/AIDS in the non-TCM group. HIV/AIDS patients in TCM therapy group, male, non-other infection disease and higher CD4 T cell counts had higher QOL score. Age and time of taken HAART were negative with QOL score.ConclusionsThe therapeutic effect of TCM treatment for AIDS was remarkable, and TCM treatment could decrease mortality of HIV/AIDS patients, prolong their life span and improve the QOL of them.
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