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Statin therapy and changes in hip circumference among HIV-infected participants in the ALLRT Cohort

Todd T Brown1, Marlene Smurzynski, Kunling Wu

  • 1Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. tbrown27@jhmi.edu

Antiviral Therapy
|October 9, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Statin use in individuals on antiretroviral therapy was linked to increased hip circumference, suggesting a potential benefit for HIV-associated lipoatrophy. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and their clinical significance.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV can lead to lipoatrophy, a condition characterized by loss of subcutaneous fat.
  • Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs that have been investigated for potential benefits in managing lipodystrophy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between statin exposure and changes in hip circumference in individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy.
  • To compare hip circumference changes in statin-exposed versus statin-unexposed participants on ART.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective multicentre cohort study of 2,594 individuals on ART for at least 40 weeks.
  • Comparison of hip circumference change at 32 weeks between a statin-exposed group (n=371) and a statin-unexposed group (n=2,223).
  • Statistical adjustments for age, gender, race, baseline BMI, and thymidine analogue exposure.

Main Results:

  • The statin-exposed group showed a significantly greater increase in hip circumference (0.60 cm) compared to the statin-unexposed group (95% CI: 0.11-1.10, P=0.02).
  • This finding suggests a potential positive effect of statins on fat distribution in this population.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support the hypothesis that statins may be beneficial in treating lipoatrophy associated with HIV.
  • Further studies are warranted to confirm this effect and assess its clinical significance, given limited treatment options for lipoatrophy.
Abstract

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