Estado nutricional de pacientes infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH)

Abstract

Objectives: Nutritional assessment in HIV infected patients must be a main objetive in the treatment of this disease. The main objetive of our work was to study the nutritional status with biochemical and anthropo - metrical parameters in a group of HIV infected patients. Material and methods: A total of 119 patients were evaluated. In all patients the next parameters were assessed: age, sex, treatment with anti-retroviral drugs, performed an anthropometric evaluation (weight, height, tricipital skinfold, arm circumference, arm muscular circumfe - rence and body mass index) and biochemical evaluation (albumin, pre - albumin, transferrin, total proteins, triglycerides, cholesterol, lymphoci - tes and count of CD4). Results: Patients had an average age 37.9±9.9 years, weight 64.5±13.2 kg and body mass index 22.5±3.5. The values of total proteins, albumin, prealbumin y transferrin were all normal, only patients with AIDS had low levels of transferrin (262.5±49.2 mg/dl vs 277.8±87.5; p<0.05). Percentil distribution of anthropometric parameters showed a deep depletion in muscular protein compartment, 53.1% of patients had skinfold under P 50, 91.8% had arm circunference under P 50, and 91.8% arm muscular circunference under P 50. High levels of triglyce - rides were detected in 30.5 %, these levels are related with the HIV pha - se and the number of antiretroviral drugs.. Conclusion: Nutritional status in HIV infected patients is good in our population, only a deep depletion in muscular proteic compartment was detected. Transferrin was decreased in AIDS patients. High levels of triglycerides were secondary to the number of antiretroviral drug taking by patients. KEY