Question
Will diet and exercise increase my CD4 count?
26 March 2012. Related: CD4 and viral load, Starting treatment.
My last cd4 count, taken 05/2011 was 453,and my most recent one taken last month came back as 280.
Now this has come as an extreme shock to me and hard to accept. I am not ready to start meds.
Can I re-take a cd4 test just for reassurance?
All my other previous ones have been above 500. Yes my diet has been beyond poor but what could be the main/possible cause for such a drastic drop?
Also need to know if I can boost it up by getting back on track with my diet and exercise?
Answer
I can appreciate your concern about the drop in your CD4 count. This is not uncommon as the change could be due to any number of factors. Firstly, CD4 counts do generally tend to drop over time, especially if someone has not started treatment. CD4 counts also fluctuate (vary) depending on lots of other factors including lab errors and the time of day the test was done. There is, therefore, certainly no harm in re-taking the test for reassurance.
Your second question was whether you could boost your CD4 count through diet and exercise. Staying healthy by eating a nutritious balanced diet, excercising regularly, reducing stress levels, etc, can all help to maintain a healthy immune system. However, this will not necessarily increase your CD4 count.
In general, the only way you can increase your CD4 count is by taking ARVs (antiretrovial treatment for HIV). ARVs are the only proven way of increasing and maintaining a good CD4 count.
You mentioned that you are not yet ready to start treatment. The WHO (World Health Organisation) treatment guidelines recommend starting treatment with a CD4 count of 350 or less. Even if your confirmatory test indicates that you do not need to start treatment straightaway, you may find it helpful to start preparing for when you will need to start treatment in the future. Our guide to An introduction to combination therapy answers a lot of questions you may have around starting treatment.
Good luck with the test.
Hi Jhun,
Though you may feel that you CD4 hasn’t risen enough, its good to see that it has risen. Unlike viral loads which decrease very rapidly, when someone starts medication it can take longer for a CD4 count to rise. It may be worth calling your clinic again and asking about the viral load test.
Mam or Miss,Lisa Thorley
Mam i was started my med it was febraury 2017.i dont know my viral load yet.i went to the social hygiene to ask to test my viral load.they told me they will call me but until now im not receive them call yet.my 1st CD4 it was August 2017 was count 174 count.then i was fallow up again my CD4 count was April 2018 .only 221 count..until im still waiting to them to call me for my viral load.
Hi Jhun,
What was your CD4 when you started meds? Do you know what your viral load is?
My name is jhun from philippines
I was diagnosed HIV last december 2016
.i was started taking ARV last January 2017 until now. U went to labolatory for checking my CD4 count and they check it out.just only 221 the count of my CD4 last MAY 2018.please give me some advice what im going to do to increase fast my CD4 Count.because i almost taking ARV almost 2 years now.i did not check my recently CD4 .i hope can you give me some advice or idea how to increase fast my CD4
Thank you.
Hi Shivraj,
In 2017, India said they would provide HIV treatment to all who need it.
And here’s a list of hospitals that includes Jalgaon which I think is not far from you. This list is from the National AIDS Control Organisation in India, here is the link: http://naco.gov.in/treatment
India , bhusawal maharashtra
Hi Shivraj,
ARV’s in most countries are free, which country are you living in?
I’m 46 n my CD4 count is 169 please help me. I dont have any resources
Hi Susan, It’s great to hear from somebody who is 71 years young! It sounds like you’re pretty healthy too. But as Simon says on this question, the lower the CD4 count is, the more slowly it is likely to take to respond on starting treatment, and also the less likely that you will reach the high levels. Can you talk to the doctor if your CD4 count is worrying you?
I was diagnosed with HIV in Oct 2009 and my t cell was 6. Today almost 8 years later my T cell is 151. I’ve on many different regiments and nothing seems to help.
I don’t know if age makes any difference, I am 71 yrs young.
If anyone has any recommendations on how to help myself. I eat healthy no junk food and I go to the gym a few times a week.
Thank you