Low Weight Can Impair Brain Function

HIV-positive people with low weight have significantly reduced neurocognitive function, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School. They evaluated 57 HIV-positive women and 24-HIV positive men who weighed less than 90% of their ideal weight or who had unintentionally lost more than 10% of their body weight after being diagnosed with HIV infection. The female study subjects performed more than two standard deviations below the mean on measures of verbal memory and learning, visual concentration, and motor functioning. Men also scored below average on the tests, but they were not as severely affected as women. These problems 'may affect clinicians' interactions with patients,' study author Steven Grinspoon told Reuters Health. 'Patients' ability to understand treatment regimens and their adherence may be affected.'