GetFit Weight Management Services for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
UNPLANNED WEIGHT LOSS
The GetFit Weight Management Program recognizes that PLWHAs are living longer with the development of better Antiretroviral Therapies (ART).
However, some PLWHAs are still experiencing unplanned weight loss.
Over time, patients living with HIV may experience unintentional weight loss, which may manifest as a preferential loss of lean body mass (LBM) and relative preservation of fat.
The loss of LBM may be associated with a decline in strength and in the ability to complete tasks. This condition is called HIV‑associated wasting.
HIV‑associated wasting is an HIV‑related condition characterized by abnormalities in protein synthesis, proteolysis, and lipid metabolism.
These are the risk factors of PLWHAs for developing HIV‑associated wasting:
Newly diagnosed patients.
HIV long-term survivors.
HIV‑positive patients with normal CD4 counts and controlled viral loads.
Patients on ART who fail to gain weight.
Patients on ART with acute infection.
Patients with advanced HIV disease.
Poor virologic responders.
Patients who have been nonadherent to ART.