Supplements Buoy Muscle Mass in HIV Positive Patients

Supplements Buoy Muscle Mass in HIV Positive Patients

NEW YORK--A new study shows that supplements that are fortified withproteins, carbohydrates, fats, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals may combatthe gradual weight loss and increased breakdown of proteins associated withAIDS. Researchers reported that a combination of nutritional supplements anddietary counseling can reduce protein breakdown and increase muscle mass in HIVinfected patients. In fact, supplement use "may support (the) beneficialhealth effects of currently available antiretroviral therapies,'' reported Dr.Ulrich Keller and associates at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland.

Published in the January issue of the European Journal of ClinicalInvestigation, the study followed 15 HIV infected patients in stableclinical condition. The subjects were given either nutritional supplements totake by mouth plus dietary counseling, or no supplements and no specificcounseling. Dietary counseling depended on the needs and symptoms of eachpatient and included information on how to deal with problems such as diarrhea,nausea and weight loss.

The therapy did not affect HIV-related immune markers such as CD4 immune cellcounts, nor did the patients taking supplements report a better quality of life.However, the investigators noticed a significant decrease in protein breakdownprocesses among supplemented and counseled patients, while untreated patientsshowed no change. Patients receiving supplements also experienced an increase inlean body mass, accompanied by a decrease in fat.