Survival Time of People Living With HIV: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

1.1. Introduction: Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is still a global epidemic. More than 40 million people died of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) so far. Antiretroviral treatment (ART), among other health care measures, reversed this fatal outcome. The aim of this study was to analyze the survival time of people living with HIV (PLHIV) through national and international studies in a systematic review with meta-analysis. 1.2. Material and Methods: An electronic search was conducted in three databases PubMed, SciELO and ScienceDirect identify original studies about survival time of PLHIV published until 12/31/2018. 1.3. Results: A total of 2,650 entries were retrieved from which 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. The total number of PLHIV included in these studies was 75,020 people. They were performed in 11 countries, with 35.29% of them in Brazil. The overall mean survival time of PLHIV was 6.36 years (95%CI 5.58-7.14; I2=100%; p<0.001). Survival time of PLHIV was higher for those on ART than for those without treatment: an average of 2.4 years and 1,52, respectively. Survival time of PLHIV also increased with higher educational levels and younger age. 1.4. Conclusion: This systematic review with meta-analysis consolidated the scientific evidence that ART increases survival time of PLHIV.