6. Sudden Weight Loss
The progression of HIV infection often involves a drastic loss of body weight.
Several factors contribute to HIV-related weight loss:
For example, low appetite is a common side effect of advanced HIV infection. Additionally, many of the drugs and medications that are prescribed to HIV/AIDS patients can dramatically alter a patients sense of appetite and satiety. When this is compounded by the various oral diseases that commonly plague HIV patients, the result is a dramatically diminished ingestion of food and a subsequent loss of weight.
Additionally, the basal metabolic rate of HIV patients tends to increase overall as the body uses more and more energy to fight off the growing viral load. Furthermore, HIV patients are prone to various infections and conditions that can potentially interfere with nutrient absorption along the gastrointestinal tract; which can often result in diarrhea, a severe caloric deficit, and weight loss.
Unfortunately, these factors often create a vicious cycle where HIV infection increases caloric demand, while at the same time generating conditions which alter and decrease a patients’ ability to meet these increased metabolic requirements.
