Please Note: Due to volume considerations, not all questions can be answered. Questions most likely to be answered will be those of general interest to a broad group of visitors to this forum. Questions pertaining to a specific case; requests for diagnosis, medical advice, or second opinion; or requests for opinions about untested alternative therapies will generally not be answered.
This Forum is made possible in part by Gilead and GlaxoSmithKline.
Ask the Experts about Choosing Your Meds
Fat Loss
Apr 12, 2008
Dr. Young,
I have a CD4 count of 320 and 20,000 copies. My doctor is monitoring my prognosis. I have noticed a slight reduction of fat in my face and other extremities. If I started taking Atripla, or any other antiviral, will this prevent further fat loss?
Thanks
Wayne
Response from Dr. Young
Thank you for your post.
Since HIV disease is one of the risk factors for fat loss (lipoatrophy), especially since you seem to be experiencing early, mild symptoms, it is entirely reasonable that stopping HIV should prevent (and perhaps reverse) the fat loss. Effective antiretroviral therapy should decrease this risk; unexpectedly, a large well designed clinical study (ACTG 5142) suggests that efavirenz containing treatment may actually have a increased risk of causing fat loss compared with lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra)-- for this reason (and others), many of my patients have elected to avoid efavirenz containing first-line treatments (like Atripla).
BY
Please remember that this forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not engaged through this
forum in rendering legal or medical advice or professional services. Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible
for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither The Body nor any sponsor is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.
Questions and messages posted to this forum are not statements of advice, opinion, or information of The Body, Body Health Resources Corporation or any sponsor of this
forum. While neither The Body nor Body Health Resources Corporation regularly reviews posted content, we reserve the right to delete, move, or
edit postings if we deem it appropriate under the circumstances. Visitors submitting questions remain solely responsible for the content of their
messages.
Information provided by experts is general only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease, or relied upon as
legal or other professional advice. This information is not a substitute for professional advice or care. If you have or suspect you may have a
health or legal problem, you should consult your own health care provider or your attorney.
