Nutritional and metabolic status of HIV-positive patients with lipodystrophy during one year of follow-up

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this prospective study was to compare changes in lipid metabolism and nutritional status after either 6 and 12 months of follow-up in subjects with lipodystrophy syndrome after traditional lifestyle therapy with or without fibric acid analogue intervention (bezafibrate and clofibrate). METHODS: Food intake, alterations in body composition and metabolic abnormalities were assessed in subjects with lipodystrophy syndrome at the beginning of the study. The nutritional status and metabolic alterations of the subjects were monitored, and the subjects received nutritional counseling each time they were seen. The subjects were monitored either two times over a period no longer than six months (Group A; n = 18) or three times over a period of at least 12 months (Group B; n = 35). All of the subjects underwent nutrition counseling that was based on behavior modification. The fibric acid analogue was only given to patients with serum triglyceride levels above 400 mg/dL. RESULTS: After six months of follow-up, Group A showed no alterations in the experimental parameters. After twelve months, there was a decrease in serum triglyceride levels (410.4 ± 235.5 vs. 307.7 ± 150.5 mg/dL, p< 0.05) and an increase in both HDLc levels (37.9 ± 36.6 vs. 44.9 ± 27.9 mg/dL, p<0.05) and lean mass (79.9 ± 7.8 vs. 80.3 ± 9.9 %, p< 0.05) in Group B. CONCLUSION: After one year of follow-up (three sessions of nutritional and medical counseling), the metabolic parameters of the subjects with lipodystrophy improved after traditional lifestyle therapy with or without fibric acid analogue intervention.