Metabolic complications of HIV-1 antiretroviral therapy: The lipodystrophysyndrome

The lipodystrophy syndrome is one of the complications reported with increa sed frequency in patients with HIV-1 infection receiving antiretroviral the rapy. The wide range of prevalence estimates may be due to differing defini tions, methods and patient populations. We described the various pathogenic theories and the morphological and metabolic alterations associated with t his syndrome. Even if no effective treatment exists, a correct lifestyle, a dequate diet and physical exercise seem to be very important. Moreover drug therapies should be used with care to avoid potentially harmful interactio ns with antiretroviral agents. Ideally, the future effort to define the mec hanism of lipodystrophy would be multidisciplinary and would involve not on ly experts in AIDS research but also nutritionists, endocrinologists and ca rdiologists.