HIV lipodystrophy diagnosis and management. Body composition and metabolic alterations: diagnosis and management

Body composition alterations are common in HIV infection and include AIDS wasting and lipodystrophy. Both are associated with metabolic alterations, including hypertriglyceridemia and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels; insulin resistance and elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels are also associated with lipodystrophy. However, there is no accepted case definition for HIV-associated lipodystrophy, and patients may have one or all aspects at any given time. The inability of cross-sectional studies to capture the dynamic process of these alterations has hindered the search for a case definition. In the meantime, there are several approaches to treatment of the resulting abnormalities. Switching antiretrovirals has been most successful for improving metabolism, with little or not effect on fat distribution. Growth hormone treatment has successfully reduced visceral fat and buffalo humps but is not FDA-approved for this indication. Metformin and rosiglitazone have produced some improvement in fat distribution as well as glucose metabolism. Other methods that have been tried with varying degrees of success (and little published data) include treatment with testosterone and its derivatives, weight reduction through diet and exercise, and plastic surgery.