Nutrition in HIV disease
1992
Oliver, C. | Hyder, T.
Nutrition intervention at the earliest stages of infection could help maintain immune function and possibly affect the progression of HIV-related disease. Weight loss and depletion of lean body mass are major nutritional problems in HIV. Causes of weight loss encompass increased nutrient requirements, decreased food intake and decreased assimilation of food. Micronutrient deficiencies can also be prevalent, though micronutrient supplementation is common among HIV-positive persons. For adequate nutrition support to be possible, nutritional assessment and management should be initiated at the time of a positive HIV diagnosis. With respect to symptomatic AIDS patients, individual nutritional management will be required for most in this category. Appropriate nutrition when a person is symptomatic may improve an individual's response to chemotherapy, affect an individual's prognosis and at the least enhance quality of life. There is at present no indication that a special diet is required for persons who are asymptomatic other than what is recommended for most Australians, i.e. to follow the Australian Dietary Guidelines. The emphasis of nutrition support should be placed on the patient achieving and maintaining an appropriate weight by a combination of diet and exercise. It is essential that nutrition support be an integral part of HIV disease management.
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