Marin A, Casado JL, Moya J, Aranzabal L, Antela A, Moreno A, Dronda F, Moreno S; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).

Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. MoPeD3807.

Ramon y Cajal Hospital, Madrid, Spain

Background: Lipodystrophy (LD) has become the main problem in the majority of HIV-infected patients and could produce psychological distress. However, data on quality of life (QoL) or anxiety related to LD are scarce and controversial. Methods: Prospective study of 38 patients with LD who fulfilled a 46-item questionnaire specifically designed to measure anxiety, depressive symptoms, social distress and anxiety, social support, quality of life, body image alteration, adherence, and changes in the attitudes toward drugs related to LD. Also, 3 control groups were included (non-HIV, non treated HIV patients, and treated HIV patients without LD). LD was quantified in a scale of 0 (no LD) to 4 (maximal changes) by the patient and, independently, by the physician responsible. Results: Mean age was 44 years, 74% were male. There was a high correlation between patient and physician quantification of lipoatrophy or fat accumulation (r=0.52 to 0.8, p<0.001). Overall, there was a decrease in quality of life for patients with severe lipoatrophy in comparison with those reporting mild atrophy or lipohypertrophy, or with control patients. In these patients, decrease in QoL was strongly correlated with higher punctuations in depression (r=-0.72, p<0.001), anxiety (r=-0.58; p<0.001), and body image changes (r=-0.45; p=0.004). Notably, QoL decrease was not related with previous AIDS diagnosis, nadir of CD4+ count, time on HAART, family or laboral status, patient's beliefs, risk practice, or greater social support, and only was correlated with lipoatrophy severity. On the other hand, a lower QoL scale in HIV-infected patients without LD was related to nadir CD4+ count and HIV situation. In our population, there was not change in adherence or attitudes toward medication even in this group of severely affected patients. Conclusions: Severe lipoatrophy produces a significant decrease of QoL, the emergence of depressive symptoms and anxiety, and this fact is not modified by HIV situation, patien's beliefs, or a higher social support.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
• Anxiety
• Body Image
• CD4 Lymphocyte Count
• Depression
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome
• Humans
• Life
• Male
• Prospective Studies
• Quality of Life
• Questionnaires
• Social Support
• psychology

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0035881

UI: 102280097

From Meeting Abstracts