At a glance: Syndrome that makes HIV patients waste away
Test tube with blood sample for HIV genotype test
What you need to know:
- According to the International Association of Providers of Aids Care, people living with HIV often have low appetite, due to “nausea, changes in sense of taste or tingling around the mouth”
The HIV wasting syndrome is defined by the National Library of Medicine as a complication brought about by HIV. It manifests through weight loss and weakness, and sometimes fever and diarrhoea.
What are its causes?
It may be caused by inadequate diet, impaired nutrient absorption, inflammation, opportunistic infections, disruption of body metabolism, among others. According to the International Association of Providers of Aids Care, people living with HIV often have low appetite, due to “nausea, changes in sense of taste or tingling around the mouth”. “Food processing and protein building are affected by HIV, thereby altering the body’s metabolism. Even before any symptoms show up, you need more energy. This might be caused by the increased activity of the immune system. People with HIV need more calories just to maintain their body weight,” says the association.
“Hormone levels can affect metabolism. HIV seems to change some hormone levels, including testosterone and the thyroid hormone. Also, cytokines, proteins that produce inflammation to help the body fight infections also play a role in wasting. People with HIV have very high levels of cytokines. This makes the body produce more fats and sugars, but less protein,” adds the association.
The association also states that infections may increase the body’s energy requirements, while interfering with how the body absorbs nutrients, leading to fatigue.
This can also reduce appetite, and because of eating less, accelerates the process.
How is wasting syndrome treated?
The association notes that there is no standard treatment for wasting syndrome. However, successful antiretroviral therapy , which decreases the viral load to undetectable levels, helps and leads to weight gain (averagely between 10 and 25 per cent per year). “Reducing nausea and vomiting helps increase food intake, treating diarrhoea in the intestines helps alleviate poor nutrient absorption, and treating changes in metabolism might also help treat wasting,” it says.
