Prevalence of lipodystrophy and dyslipidemia among patients with HIV infection on generic ART in rural South India.

As antiretroviral therapy (ART) becomes more available to the HIV-infected population, it is important to determine the prevalence of its long-term complications. In this cross-sectional study, 145 HIV-positive patients on ART, 146 HIV-positive patients not on ART, and 72 HIV-negative individuals visiting the Namakkal District Head Quarters Hospital, Tamil Nadu, India, were recruited from February 2007 to April 2009. Among the patients on ART, the prevalence of lipodystrophy was 60.7%; 22.7% with lipohypertrophy, 51.1% with lipoatrophy, and 22.7% with mixed pattern. The proportion of patients with dyslipidemia was significantly higher in the treatment group when compared to ART-naive and HIV-negative controls (P = .00). Total duration of ART was significantly associated with lipodystrophy (P = .04) and dyslipidemia (P = .01). Also, by logistic regression, abnormal metabolic levels were a risk factor in lipodystrophy (P = .02). This study highlights the need for development of inexpensive and accessible treatments for the reduction of lipodystrophy.