A study of HIV infected women in Tanzaniashows that a taking a multivitamin daily may slow the progression of HIV. This is the result from research performed by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Muhimbili University College of Health Services in Dar es Salaam. The study results appear in the July 1, 2004issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Women taking multivitamins (vitamins B-complex, C and E) significantly delayed the progression of HIV disease compared to those in the study who received the placebo.
The study participants were 1,078 HIV-infected pregnant women. Each received one of four regimens, vitamin A, multiple vitamins without vitamin A, multiple vitamins containing vitamin A, or a placebo. The study took place between April, 1995 and August, 2003. Women participated for two years. All women received folic acid and iron after giving birth. All children received vitamin A.
Of the 1078 women, 299 either died or progressed to WHO stage 4 (full-blown AIDS). Of the women receiving the multiple vitamin, about one-fourth died or progressed to full-blown AIDS. Of those in the placebo group, just under one-third either died or progressed to full-blown AIDS. Also, the women who took multivitamins had higher CD4 immune cell counts, lower viral loads, and reduced complications of HIV infection including oral thrush, oral ulcers, difficulty in swallowing, diarrhea and fatigue.
”Our findings should encourage the use of multivitamin supplements as supportive care to those infected with HIV. As antiretroviral therapy becomes available in less developed countries many HIV-infected persons will be identified who do not meet the international guidelines for initiation of therapy. Our data suggest that multivitamins delay the onset of disease progression and thus extend the time until such therapy is necessary.” said Wafaie Fawzi, lead author of the study and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.