The effect of drug abuse on body mass index in Hispanics with and without HIV infection

Abstract

Objective: There is a widely held view that the lower weight of drug abusers is attributable to diet. However, many studies on the dietary intake of drug abusers have failed to find energy insufficiency, while non-dietary factors have rarely been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine non-dietary factors that could affect the weight of drug abusers with and without HIV infection.

Design: Participants were recruited into one of three groups: HIV-positive drug abusers (n=85), HIV-negative drug abusers (n=102) and HIV-positive persons who do not use drugs ('non-drug abusers', n=98). Non-dietary factors influencing weight included infection with HIV and/or hepatitis, malabsorption, resting energy expenditure and physical activity.

Setting: The baseline data from a prospective cohort study of the role of drug abuse in HIV/AIDS weight loss conducted in Boston, USA.

Subjects: The first 286 participants to enroll in the study.

Results: HIV-positive drug abusers had a body mass index (BMI) that was significantly lower than that of HIV-positive non-drug abusers. The differences in weight were principally differences in fat. In the men, cocaine abuse, either alone or mixed with opiates, was associated with lower BMI, while strict opiate abuse was not. Infection with HIV or hepatitis, intestinal malabsorption, resting energy expenditure and physical activity, as measured in this study, did not explain the observed differences in weight and BMI.

Conclusions: Drug abuse, and especially cocaine abuse, was associated with lower weight in men. However, infection with HIV and/or hepatitis, malabsorption and resting energy expenditure do not explain these findings.