Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Mar 1;21(1):12.
doi: 10.1186/s12981-024-00599-3.

Brief communication: body composition and hidden obesity in people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy

K Konishi  1   2   3 , H Nakagawa  4 , T Asaoka  4 , Y Kasamatsu  4 , T Goto, M Shirano  4
Affiliations

Brief communication: body composition and hidden obesity in people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy

K Konishi et al. AIDS Res Ther. .

Abstract

Background: Increased incidence of lifestyle diseases as side-effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) have been reported in people living with HIV (PLWH). Few studies have evaluated obesity and hidden obesity in Japanese PLWH and their association with ART. In order to provide more appropriate drug selection and lifestyle guidance, we investigated the relationship between the effects of HIV infection and ART on the body composition of Japanese PLWH.

Methods: PLWH who visited the outpatient clinic and had body composition measured using the body composition analyzer InBody 570 were included in this study. Medications, comorbidities, and blood test data were obtained. Body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) were measured.

Results: In this study, 543 patients were included. Based on body shape, patients were classified into a thin group (13), normal weight group (14), hidden obesity group (158), apparent obesity group (14), and obesity group (218). Compared with the normal weight group, the hidden obesity group had a higher prevalence of comorbidities and a lower SMI.

Conclusions: PLWH are more likely to have obesity than the general population, indicating that hidden obesity is common even among those with a normal BMI. It is important to measure body fat percentage along with body weight, as hidden obesity can be missed. Further investigation of the effects of ART on body composition is needed.

Keywords: Antiretroviral therapy; Body composition; HIV; Japan; Weight gain.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of the body shape of the patients classified by age group Thin group: body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2; normal group: BMI 18.5–25 kg/m2 and body fat percentage < 20%; hidden obesity group: BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m2 or < 25 kg/m2 and body fat percentage ≥ 20%; apparently obesity group: BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and body fat percentage < 20%; obesity group: BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and body fat percentage ≥ 20% BMI, body mass index
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Sax PE, Erlandson KM, Lake JE, McComsey GA, Orkin C, Esser S, et al. Weight gain following initiation of antiretroviral therapy: risk factors in randomized comparative clinical trials. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;71:1379–1389. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz999. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-1—infected adults and adolescents with HIV. https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/guidelines/hiv-clinical-guidelines-adult... (2023). Accessed 22 June 2022.
    1. The European AIDS Clinical Society. EACS produces Guidelines for the management of people living with HIV in Europe. https://eacs.sanfordguide.com/ (2023). Accessed 22 June 2022.
    1. Tajiri Y, Kato T, Nakayama H, Yamada K. Reduction of skeletal muscle, especially in lower limbs, in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients with insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2010;8:137–142. doi: 10.1089/met.2009.0043. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Park SW, Goodpaster BH, Lee JS, Kuller LH, Boudreau R, de Rekeneire N, et al. Excessive loss of skeletal muscle mass in older adults with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1993–1997. doi: 10.2337/dc09-0264. - DOI - PMC - PubMed