Assessment of regional body composition, physical function and sarcopenia among peruvian women aging with HIV: A cross-sectional study.

Management of chronic conditions and optimization of overall health has become a primary global health concern in the care of people living with HIV in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly in lower-and-middle income countries where infrastructure for chronic disease management may be fragmented. Alterations in body composition can reflect important changes in musculoskeletal health, particularly among populations at risk for developing fat and muscle redistribution syndromes, such as women with HIV on ART. Given the lack of data on this topic in Latin America and the Caribbean, we designed an exploratory study to measure these outcomes in a population of women aging with HIV in Peru. We conducted a cross-sectional study among Peruvian women with and without HIV aged ≥40 years. Dual X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure trunk and limb lean mass (LM) and fat mass (FM). Physical performance was assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and physical strength with a dynamometer. Sarcopenia was assessed based upon EWGSOP criteria. We used linear regression to model associations between body composition, sarcopenia and physical performance scores. 104 women with HIV and 212 women without HIV were enrolled (mean age 52.4±8.2 vs. 56.4±8.8 years, p≤0.001). Among women with HIV, mean years since diagnosis was 11.8±6 and all were on ART. Mean SPPB score was 9.9 vs 10.8 (p<0.001) between both groups. Sarcopenia spectrum was found in 25.9% and 23.1%, respectively. In the multivariable regression analysis, trunk FM and older age were negatively correlated with physical performance among women with HIV. Severe sarcopenia was found among a greater proportion of those with HIV (3.8% vs. 0.9%, p = 0.84), however this finding was not statistically significant. Women with HIV had significantly lower SPPB scores compared to women without HIV, and trunk FM and upper limb LM were independent predictors for the SPPB and Grip Strength tests, respectively. Larger, prospective studies are needed in Latin America & the Caribbean to identify individuals at high risk for sarcopenia and declines in physical function, and to inform prevention guidelines.

Prevalence of and risk factors for vertebral fracture and low bone mineral density among Peruvian women aging with HIV.

Osteoporosis and fracture risk among women with HIV in Latin America is understudied. In a sample of Peruvian women with and without HIV, women with HIV had lower femoral neck and total hip BMD and a higher proportion of vertebral fractures. Important treatment gaps were identified across both groups. PURPOSE: Studies have shown that patients with HIV are at increased risk for bone loss and fracture due to a combination of host, viral, and antiretroviral therapy (ART)-related factors. We aimed to explore the prevalence of vertebral fracture (VF) and low bone mineral density (BMD) among women aging with HIV in Peru and identify risk factors for osteoporosis and fracture in this population. METHODS: We enrolled women living with and without HIV aged ≥40 years between 2019 and 2020. Participants completed a survey and obtained dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) test to assess BMD at the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH). A subset of patients also obtained lateral thoracolumbar X-rays. Presence of VF was determined using the Genant semiquantitative method. Regression analyses were used to model associations between key risk factors and BMD. RESULTS: 104 women living with HIV and 212 women living without HIV were enrolled with a mean age of 52.4±8.2 and 56.4±8.8 years (p < 0.001). Among postmenopausal women (257/316, 81.3%), 26.3% of women living with HIV and 25.9% of those without HIV had osteoporosis. Among the 88 women living with HIV and 178 women living without HIV who obtained thoracolumbar X-rays, 12.5% and 6.2%, respectively, had at least one VF. Based on DXA and the FRAX score, 22/104 women living with HIV met criteria for osteoporosis treatment according to national guidelines; however, none were on treatment. Propensity score matching revealed that women living with HIV had 0.032 g/cm2 lower FN BMD (p = 0.012) and 0.034 g/cm2 lower TH BMD (p = 0.041) compared to women without HIV. CONCLUSION: In this study, women living with HIV on long-standing ART had increased VF prevalence compared to the slightly older group of women without HIV. Age and BMI were independent predictors for BMD at the lumbar spine, hip, and femoral neck among women living with HIV, and there was a treatment gap among women who met criteria for osteoporosis treatment. Larger studies are needed in this region to identify individuals at risk for fracture and to inform prevention guidelines.

Health-related quality of life among women aging with and without HIV in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that women aging with HIV have significantly lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to women without HIV. However, no studies have examined this issue in Latin America and the Caribbean. We aimed to explore HRQoL measured by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) among women aging with and without HIV in Peru. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study at a large HIV-clinic in Peru. Outcomes of the SF-36 were evaluated, exploring the relationship between physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), sociodemographic factors (ethnicity, alcohol/tobacco use, age, BMI) and clinical data (AIDS progression, treatment duration, CD4+ cell count and viral load, years since HIV diagnosis) with HRQoL using regression analysis. Statistical significance was set with a two-tailed p-value <0.05. RESULTS: We enrolled 427 women (175 HIV-infected) with mean age of 54±8 years. From the SF-36 individual domains: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical and emotional health, and emotional wellbeing were significantly lower for HIV-infected women. Summary component scores were lower for the HIV-subset for both physical (45.8 vs 47.3) and mental (45.1 vs 45.8) components, although they did not achieve statistical significance. Regression analysis of the HIV-infected women revealed that the physical component score was significantly associated with physical activity, ethnicity, and chronic comorbidities while the mental component was significantly associated with physical activity, employment, and CD4+ cell count. CONCLUSION: In our study, HIV-infected women scored lower in both physical and mental component scores. Important determinants for each component included CD4+ cell count as an assessment of HIV severity for the mental component, and ethnicity, reflecting socio-cultural factors, for the physical component. These results reveal the importance of a holistic approach to addressing HRQoL in this population. Better understanding of these factors will help shape future policies and interventions to improve HRQoL of women aging with HIV.