Women May Be More Prone to Lipodystrophy

HIV-positive women treated with antiretroviral drugs are at a higher risk than men of developing lipodystrophy-related changes in body fat accumulation and distribution, according to a study by Italian researchers published in the September 1 edition of Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Clinical data and self-reported changes in body shape from more than 2,200 HIV patients showed that even though the men in the study were more likely to have been treated longer with anti-HIV drugs and have a higher incidence of severe HIV disease, women were more likely to self-report or be diagnosed with fat changes in their bodies. Nearly 42% of the women in the study had confirmed body fat changes, compared with 29.5% of the male subjects. 'Lipodystrophy is more frequent and more polymorphic in women than men,' the researchers conclude. 'Studies of the role of hormonal mechanisms will probably provide information concerning gender-related differences in the development of lipodystrophy.'