Lipodystrophy in HIV-infection

Since the availability of protease inhibitors in 1997, there has been a great change in antiretroviral therapy but also new long term side effects have emerged, mainly metabolic changes such as hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterinemia and hyperglycemia. Besides, fat redistribution has been observed. Fat wastes in the face and limbs but accumulates in the adipose tissue of the dorsocervical and abdominal region and the breasts. The mechanism of these changes remains unclear. For therapy a protease inhibitor free therapy or lipid lowering drugs may be tried. 29 of our 224 patients developed lipodystrophy. 27 of these patients had been treated with a protease inhibitor (17 patients with indinavir); 2 of the patients had never received protease inhibitors.