Management of antiretroviral-related nutritional problems: challenges and future directions

Survival has been greatly enhanced with the adequate and effective treatment of HIV infection. Surviving and surviving well are important pieces of the disease management puzzle. Nutritional well-being has been closely associated with both survival and quality of life in HIV and other diseases. The effects and interactions of currently used antiretroviral therapies can compromise nutritional well-being. The challenges posed to researchers, clinicians, and patients in evaluating and treating nutrition-related effects of life-saving antiretroviral medications affect health care goals, recommendations, and decisions. Challenges include identifying emerging problems, prioritizing clinical problems, expediting the implementation of clinical trials, developing research-based interventions that are realistic and usable in practice, decreasing the time lag to incorporate research findings into practice, and developing or adapting evidence-based clinical guidelines. This article will explore these challenges, offer thought-provoking questions in the development of research and clinically viable solutions, and propose future directions for management strategies of antiretroviral-related problems.