The Effect of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on Accommodative-Convergence Mechanism among HIV/AIDS Patients in Northwestern Nigeria. https://doi.org/10.60787/NMJ-63-4-114

Abstract

Background: Whilst HAART has been effective in reducing rapidly progressive retinopathies; there are other ocular manifestations of HIV which are yet to be determined, characterised and addressed. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of HAART on the Accommodative-Convergence mechanism among HIV/AIDS patients in Northwestern, Nigeria.

Methodology: This was a hospital-based cohort study; participants that met the inclusion criteria were recruited and were separated into two groups, A and B. Group A were those about to commence HAART, referred to as HAART naive, while group B was subdivided into four groups; comprising of B₁: those that had been on HAART for 0 - 2½ years, group B₂: >2½ - 5 years, group B₃: >5 - 7½ years, and group B₄: >7½ - 10 years, termed as HAART experience.

Results: There were 400 participants aged 25 – 55years with a mean age of 37.86 ± 7.5years. Most of the participants, 336 (84.0%), had an abnormal Near Point of Convergence (NPC) compared to 64 (16%) with normal NPC values. About 273 (68.2%) of the participant’s Amplitude Accommodation (AA) was within 3 to 5DS, whilst the majority of them, 305 (76.2%), had an abnormal Reading Addition.

Conclusion: The study showed that the HIV/AIDS patients on HAART exhibit an abnormally low AA, receded NPC and High presbyopic reading addition compared to age-matched HAART naïve. There was a statistically significant association between AA and HAART (p = 0.002) and HAART duration (p = 0.00), but there was no association with their CD4+ T cell levels and HAART regimen (p = 0.12, p = 0.08).  There was no statistically significant association between Abnormal reading addition and HAART (p= 0.46), CD4+4 T cell levels and HAART regimen (p=0.53 and p= 0.59), but there was a statistically significant association with HAART duration (p= 0.00).