Ultrasonographic measurement of intra-abdominal fat thickness in HIV-infected patients treated or not with antiretroviral drugs and its correlation to lipid and glycemic profiles

• Published in: Annals of nutrition and metabolism 2007-01, Vol.51 (1), p.35-41
• Main Authors: Guimaraes, M.M.M, Oliveira Junior, A.R. de, Penido, M.G, Queiroz, L.C, Goulart, E.M.A, Greco, D.B, Machado, L.J. de C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; abdominal fat; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; adipose tissue; Adult; Anthropometry; Anti-Retroviral Agents - adverse effects; Anti-Retroviral Agents - pharmacology; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; atherogenesis; atherosclerosis; Blood Glucose - analysis; Body fat; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug therapy; echocardiography; Female; glycemic index; Health risks; HIV; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome - etiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; hypercholesterolemia; hypertriglyceridemia; insulin; insulin resistance; Intra-Abdominal Fat - diagnostic imaging; Intra-Abdominal Fat - drug effects; Lipids - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Observational studies; Original Paper; patients; Risk Factors; Ultrasonography; visceral fat
• ISSN: 0250-6807; 1421-9697
• DOI: 10.1159/000100819

Aims: To compare the intra-abdominal fat thickness measured by ultrasound between HIV-infected patients treated or not with antiretroviral drugs and to correlate these visceral adiposity measurements to other parameters of cardiovascular risks. Methods: In a transversal observational study, 160 HIV-infected patients were recruited and divided in two groups, i.e., 123 antiretroviral (ARV)-treated and 37 ARV-naive patients. These patients were submitted to anthropometric determinations, laboratorial analysis, ultrasonographic measurements of subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat thickness and to tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance analysis in order to measure the body composition. Results: In the patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) the intra-abdominal fat pad was significantly thicker than that of the untreated group (69 +/- 21 mm, n = 123 vs. 60 +/- 18 mm, n = 37; p = 0.03 Student's t test). The intra-abdominal fat thickness correlated significantly with plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, fasting glucose, glucose measurements 2 h after dextrose load, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR index, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, weight, BMI, WHR and caliper-measured total fat percentage. Conclusion: The results showed that antiretroviral therapy is associated with increased ultrasonographic measurements of visceral adiposity. Our data demonstrated a strong correlation between intra-abdominal fat thickness and independent risk factors of cardiovascular disease: atherogenic lipid profile and insulin resistance.