[pronut-hiv] vitamins...exercise....gosh...good for ya!

["George M. Carter" <fiar@verizon.net>]

UNITED STATES:
"Vitamins, Exercise May Help Metabolic Disorders"
AIDS Alert (05.01.04) Vol. 19; No. 5: P. 56

F. Patrick Robinson, PhD, RN, ACRN, a biobehavioral research
fellow at the University of Illinois-Chicago, spoke about HIV-
related metabolic abnormalities and exercise at the 2003
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care conference held in New York
City last November. "There's a decade of research that shows that
aerobics and weight lifting can reverse metabolic complications,"
he said. "Now, it's theoretical that it will have an impact on
lipodystrophy." Small pilot studies have shown that exercise
helps decrease triglycerides levels and may help with the
reduction of central weight gain and improve sensitivity to
insulin, he added. Robinson and other investigators are involved
in a study addressing those issues that will look at a
combination of aerobic and weight-lifting exercises.

Also, according to Alina Gavrila, MD, a clinical researcher at
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, a recent
observational study found a significant association between serum
triglycerides levels and exercise in HIV-positive patients. "It's
a negative association," Gavrila said, "meaning the patients who
exercise more had lower levels of triglycerides and less insulin
resistance." The researchers also found that participants taking
vitamin E supplements had lower blood pressure. That study,
"Exercise and Vitamin E Intake Are Independently Associated with
Metabolic Abnormalities in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive
Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Study," appeared in Clinical
Infectious Diseases (2003;36(12):1593-1601).

Robinson said that at the very least, exercise appears to have a
positive impact on HIV patients with metabolic disorders, noting
that exercise increases energy and helps people feel better about
themselves. "And to a certain extent," Robinson said, "there is
evidence that exercise does promote a more competent immune
system." Also, weight lifting builds muscle mass in the arms and
legs and improves the body's appearance, which in turn provides a
psychological boost to HIV patients, he noted.

Robinson said that even if clinical tests showed no significant
impact on lipodystrophy and HIV-related metabolic disorders, it
would still be a good idea for clinicians to recommend both
aerobic and weight-lifting exercises for patients for whom it is
physically possible.

"Basically, there are two mechanisms at work: With endurance
exercise or aerobic exercise, you are increasing the oxidated
rate, including the metabolism - the oxidating profile of cells,"
Robinson explained. "Weight lifting, on the other hand, probably
has the most significant effect on the insulin resistance because
when you increase muscle mass, you increase the amount of muscle
that is available to transport glucose into."

Clinicians who recommend exercise to HIV patients might give them
the achievable goal of engaging in aerobic exercise for 20-30
minutes, three or four days a week, and performing muscle group
repetitions in sets of 10, twice a week, according to Robinson.
"Everyone should be exercising, and people with HIV are no
exception," he added.