Causes for the development of lipodystrophy among HIV and AIDS patients

Abstract

Today, about 35 million people worldwide are infected with HIV. These patients often develop lipid metabolism disorder called lipodystrophy syndrome. Various clinical features of lipodystrophy are peripheral fat loss in the lower limbs, face and buttocks (lipoatrophy); central adiposity, i.e. excess fat accumulation in the abdomen, breasts or dorsocervical region (lipohypertrophy); lipoma development. These types of redistribution of the adipose tissue occur in isolation as well as combined. The article examines the following causes of the development of lipodystrophy: HIV-associated lipodystrophy, HAART-associated lipodystrophy and lipodystrophy caused by age-related changes. It is also pointed out that redistribution of the adipose tissue is more common among the HIV-patients who have had PI-based ART or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors-based ART (NRTIs).