Comparison of methods for assessing nutritional status in HIV-infected adults

Malnutrition is a frequent complication of human immunodeficiency virus (HI V) infection and is associated with a poor prognosis. To compare different measures of nutritional status in MV-infected patients, we prospectively st udied 88 outpatients seen at a Paris AIDS outpatient clinic for routine fol low-up examinations. Nutritional status was assessed according to body weig ht loss (BWL, 4 classes), anthropometry, bioelectric impedance analysis (BI A), and subjective global assessment of nutritional status (SGA). Malnutrit ion was diagnosed in 22.4% of subjects using SGA, and 37.1% by BWL. SGA rap idly detected a worsening of nutritional status, while BWL detected malnutr ition at an earlier stage. A good correlation was found between SGA class a nd body composition assessed by anthropometry and BIA. Deteriorating nutrit ional status diagnosed by SGA correlated with the CDC HN disease class. SGA , a simple nutritional assessment, can serve as a basis for prescribing art ificial nutrition, while BWL detects malnutrition at an earlier stage. Nutr ition 1999;15:740-743. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1999.