The results of the study revealed that patients who took a combination of multivitamins and selenium had a lower risk of reaching a CD4 cell count of 250/µL or less - a level that prompts initiation of ART in Botswana - compared with patients who took placebos.
Furthermore, a mix of multivitamins and selenium was found to reduce the risk of a combination of measures for HIV progression, including CD4 cell count less than 250/µL, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining conditions, or AIDS-related death.
Commenting on their findings, the researchers say:
"This evidence supports the use of specific micronutrient supplementation as an effective intervention in HIV-infected adults in early stages of HIV disease, significantly reducing the risk for disease progression in asymptomatic, ART-naive, HIV-infected adults."