Metabolic disorders in patients with HIV

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and subsequent antiretroviral therapy (ART) are known to be related to different metabolic disorders. Although ART decreased HIV-associated mortality and morbidity, mortality rates in patients with HIV and ART are 3 to 15 higher than those in the general population. More than 50% of the mortality is due to diseases like: Diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), chronic renal disease and complications following bone fractures. In patients with HIV the metabolic disorders are mainly caused by mithocondrial toxicity, a side effect of ART, and they are represented by: Dyslipidemia, lipoatrophy, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus.