Body Composition Changes Have Several Predictors

Blood-based HIV viral levels, CD4-cell counts, and use of antiretroviral drugs are all independent factors that influence body composition changes among HIVers, according to a study by researchers at Tufts University. Drawing data from 152 HIV patients in the Nutrition for Healthy Living Study, researchers found that subjects with high baseline viral loads were at an increased risk of trunk and extremity fat loss. Retrovir users also were at an increased risk of fat loss. Baseline CD4-cell counts were associated with gains in trunk fat, and increases in CD4 counts were linked with gains in lean mass in the extremities. Antiretroviral therapy as a whole'and Retrovir use in particular'were linked with a decrease in bone mineral content, according to the study, which appears in the December 1 issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.