Dietary intake and cardiovascular risk among people living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

This cross-sectional study evaluated the food intake patterns related to cardiovascular risk disease among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) with viral suppression and receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Food intake was obtained by the annual food frequency questionnaire, separated into two groups, healthy and unhealthy food related intake and cardiovascular disease. Data were analyzed using Student’s t Test for independent samples or the Mann-Whitney U Test and Fisher’s exact test, with a significance level of p < 0.05. The sample consisted of 45 individuals with HIV/AIDS (60% female). The intake of unhealthy foods for cardiovascular risk was greater compared to the intake of healthy foods, both in men (3.91 ± 0.26 vs. 2.79 ± 0.32 p = 0.01) and women (3.40 ± 0.23 vs. 2.60 ± 0.29 p = 0.04). Metabolic syndrome prevalence was 33.3% in men and 37% in women. Men presented hypertriglyceridemia (50%) and low HDL (44%) and women presented central obesity (54%, p = 0.05 vs. men) hypercholester-olemia (66.7% p = 0.02 vs. men) and hypertriglyceridemia (46%). Study results indicate the presence of unhealthy food intake patterns and a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the evaluated subjects.