Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: nutrition intervention in the care of persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets the immune system, making an infected person susceptible to infection and neoplasm because of an impaired ability to mount an adequate immune response. Malnutrition and its complications can further render an HIV-infected person susceptible to opportunistic infection and reduced effectiveness and tolerance to medications and other therapies. Though effective antiretroviral treatments have dramatically reduced death rates in the United States and Canada, HIV-infected people face a lifetime of vigilant polypharmacy to control HIV and associated complications. Malnutrition, various forms of tissue wasting, fat accumulation, increased lipid levels, and risk of additional chronic disease have become central issues in health care plans. It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that efforts to optimize nutritional status, including medical nutrition therapy and nutrition-related education, should be components of the total health care provided to people infected with human immunodeficiency virus HIV.