New Mexico AIDS InfoNet

1 AIDS InfoNet Fact Sheet Number 519. AIDS WASTING. disease. Even before any symptoms show microsporidiosis are still extremely WHAT IS AIDS WASTING? AIDS wasting is the involuntary loss of more up, you need more energy. This might be difficult to treat. than 10% of body weight, plus more than 30 caused by the increased activity of the days of either diarrhea, or weakness and immune system. People with HIV need Another approach is the use of nutritional fever. Wasting is linked to disease more calories just to maintain their body supplements like Ensure and Advera. progression and death. Losing just 5% of weight. These have been specifically designed to body weight can have the same negative provide easy-to-absorb nutrients. However, effects. Although the incidence of wasting Hormone levels can affect the metabolism. they have not been carefully studied and syndrome has decreased dramatically since HIV seems to change some hormone levels contain a lot of sugar.

2 Nutritional 1996, wasting is still a problem for people including testosterone and thyroid. Also, supplements like Juven or whey protein may with AIDS, even people whose HIV is cytokines play a role in wasting. Cytokines also help increase weight. However, some controlled by medications. are proteins that produce inflammation to people are allergic to whey. Consult with help the body fight infections. People with your health care provider before using Part of the weight lost during wasting is HIV have very high levels of cytokines. This nutritional supplements. Supplements fat. More important is the loss of muscle makes the body produce more fats and should be used in addition to a balanced mass. This is also called lean body mass, sugars, but less protein. diet. or body cell mass. Lean body mass can be measured by bioelectrical impedance Unfortunately, these factors can work Treating changes in metabolism: analysis (BIA.)

3 Or by a full body x-ray together to create a downward spiral. For Hormone treatments are being examined. (DEXA) scan. These are simple, painless example, infections may increase the body's Human growth hormone (Serostim). office procedures. energy requirements. At the same time, increases weight and lean body mass, while they can interfere with nutrient absorption decreasing fat mass. However, it is AIDS wasting and lipoatrophy can both and cause fatigue. This can reduce appetite extremely expensive, can cause serious cause some body shape changes. See and make people less able to shop for or side effects, and can cost over $40,000 per Fact Sheet 553 for more information on cook their meals. They eat less, which year. Some nutritional experts believe it can lipodystrophy. Wasting is the loss of weight accelerates the process.

4 Be effective at doses lower than the FDA- and muscle. Lipoatrophy can cause a loss approved dose. of fat under the skin .Wasting is not the HOW IS WASTING TREATED? same as fat loss caused by lipodystrophy. There is no standard treatment for AIDS Testosterone and anabolic (muscle building). However, wasting in women can start with a Wasting. However, successful antiretroviral agents like oxandrolone or nandrolone loss of fat. treatment usually leads to healthy weight might also help treat wasting. They have gain. Treatments for wasting deal with each been studied in HIV by themselves and in WHAT CAUSES AIDS WASTING? of the causes mentioned above. combination with exercise. Several factors contribute to AIDS wasting: .Decreasing viral load to undetectable levels Progressive resistance training (PRT) is a Low food intake: Low appetite is usually leads to increased weight (average form of exercise using weights and common with HIV.)

5 Also, some AIDS drugs 10-25% increase in a year) machines. A recent study found that PRT. have to be taken with an empty stomach, or gave results like oxandrolone (an anabolic with a meal. It can be difficult for some Reducing nausea and vomiting helps steroid) in increasing lean body mass. PRT. people with AIDS to eat when they're increase food intake. Also, appetite was also more effective than oxandrolone in hungry. Drug side effects such as nausea, stimulants including Megace and Marinol increasing physical functioning. It is also changes in the sense of taste, or tingling have been used. Megace, unfortunately, is less expensive. Exercise can also improve around the mouth also decrease appetite. associated with increases in body fat, blood mood and cholesterol, and can strengthen Opportunistic infections in the mouth or clots, bone problems, and diabetes.

6 Marinol bone. See fact sheet 802 for more throat can make it painful to eat. Infections (dronabinol) is sometimes used to increase information on exercise and HIV. in the gut can make people feel full after appetite. It is a synthetic form of a eating just a little food. Depression can also substance found in marijuana. Medications THE BOTTOM LINE. lower appetite. Finally, lack of money or that fight nausea can also help AIDS wasting is not well understood. energy may make it difficult to shop for food However, it is clear that people with HIV. or prepare meals. AIDS activists have long urged the disease need to avoid the loss of lean body legalization of marijuana. It reduces nausea mass. Various treatments for wasting are Poor nutrient absorption: Healthy and stimulates the appetite. From the late being studied. people absorb nutrients through the small 1990s to the present, 15 states and the intestine.

7 In HIV disease, several District of Columbia legalized the medical Be sure to monitor your weight. Maintain infections (including parasites) can interfere use of marijuana. See Fact Sheet 731 for your intake of nutritious foods even if your with this process. HIV may directly affect more information on marijuana. appetite is low. Get treatment right away for the intestinal lining and reduce nutrient serious diarrhea or any infection of your absorption. Diarrhea causes loss of calories Treating diarrhea and opportunistic digestive system. These might cause and nutrients. infections in the intestines helps alleviate problems with the absorption of nutrients. poor nutrient absorption. There has been a Altered metabolism: Food processing lot of progress in this area. However, two and protein building are affected by HIV parasitic infections cryptosporidiosis and Reviewed May 19, 2014.

8 A Project of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. Fact Sheets can be downloaded from the Internet at