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Review
. 2024 Nov 21;22(1):3.
doi: 10.1007/s11904-024-00711-2.

Sex Differences in Metabolic Disorders of Aging and Obesity in People with HIV

Jessica A Alvarez  1 , Chin-An Yang  2 , Victoria Ojuri  3 , Kahsavyah Buckley  4 , Brahmchetna Bedi  3 , Joffi Musonge-Effoe  3 , Adaiah Soibi-Harry  3 , Cecile D Lahiri  5   6
Affiliations
Review

Sex Differences in Metabolic Disorders of Aging and Obesity in People with HIV

Jessica A Alvarez et al. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: As advances in antiretroviral therapy for people with HIV (PWH) have prolonged lifespans, prevalence of aging and obesity related metabolic disorders have increased. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent research assessing sex differences in metabolic disorders among PWH, including weight gain/obesity, steatotic liver disease, insulin resistance/diabetes, dyslipidemia, bone loss/osteoporosis, and sarcopenia.

Recent findings: A growing body of evidence shows that women with HIV are at increased risk of developing metabolic disorders compared to men, including body weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, bone loss, and sarcopenia, while men with HIV are at higher risk for hepatosteatosis and hepatic fibrosis. Future work should prioritize the adequate representation of women in HIV clinical studies. Understanding sex-specific mechanisms underlying metabolic dysfunction in PWH is imperative so that interventions can be developed to address a growing global epidemic of metabolic diseases.

Keywords: Aging; HIV; Metabolic; Obesity; Sex differences.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent: This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors. Competing Interests: Dr. Cecile Lahiri has received grants from Merck Pharmaceuticals and serves as a consultant and advisory board member for Theratechnologies, Inc. Dr. Alvarez, Ms. Ojuri, Mr. Buckley, Dr. Bedi, Dr. Musonge-Effoe, and Ms. Soibi-Harry declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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