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A lower body mass index is associated with cardiomyopathy in people with HIV infection: evidence from a case

C E Lemmer1, M Badri, M Visser

  • 1Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town.

South African Medical Journal = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif Vir Geneeskunde
|June 18, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Malnutrition, indicated by a lower body mass index (BMI), is linked to cardiomyopathy in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This finding suggests nutritional status is a key factor in HIV-associated heart conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • The etiology of cardiomyopathy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients is not fully understood.
  • Malnutrition is a suspected contributor, but its link to HIV-associated cardiomyopathy via anthropometric measures is unestablished.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between anthropometric measures of nutritional status and cardiomyopathy in HIV-positive individuals.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional case comparison study was conducted.
  • Seventeen HIV-associated cardiomyopathy cases and 18 HIV-positive controls without cardiomyopathy were analyzed.
  • Anthropometric measures including BMI, mid-upper arm circumference, and arm muscle area were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Patients with HIV-associated cardiomyopathy showed evidence of undernutrition compared to controls.
  • Significantly lower BMI (20.9 vs 27.0 kg/m2), mid-upper arm circumference (26.2 vs 27.3 cm), and arm muscle area (26.7 vs 32.8 cm2) were observed in cases.
  • A lower BMI was identified as the sole independent anthropometric risk factor for cardiomyopathy in a multivariate analysis (OR 0.76, p=0.02).

Conclusions:

  • A lower body mass index (BMI) is significantly associated with cardiomyopathy in people living with HIV.
  • Nutritional status, particularly BMI, may play a crucial role in the development of HIV-associated cardiomyopathy.
Abstract

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