[pronut-hiv] HIV Infection Increases Risk of Reduced BMD in Middle-Aged Women

["ProNut-HIV" <pronut-hiv@healthnet.org>]

HIV Infection Increases Risk of Reduced BMD in Middle-Aged Women
By Clementine Wallace

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Apr 10 - Middle-aged HIV-infected women have
lower bone mineral density (BMD) compared to their uninfected peers,
researchers report in Clinical Infectious Diseases for April 1.

Several studies have reported an increase prevalence of BMD (both
osteopenia and osteoporosis) among the HIV-infected population. However,
most studies done so far concerned men or didn't focus on the infection
as a potential independent risk factor for BMD, according to Dr. Julia
Arnsten, from the Montefiore Medical Center in New York.

"Our study shows that a decrease in bone density can be linked to the
infection itself, independently from the individual's behavior or from
the therapeutic regimen he or she might be following," she told Reuters
Health.

For their study, Dr. Arnsten and colleagues evaluated BMD in 495
middle-aged women, of whom 263 were HIV-positive. To cancel out the
effects of behavioral risk factors, the researchers chose participants
with similar lifestyle backgrounds in regards to physical activity,
cigarette smoking, alcohol and opiate use, Dr. Arnsten said.

Results showed that 23% of all participants had low BDM, mostly
osteopenia (only 3% had osteoporosis). Low BDM was more prevalent among
HIV infected patients (27%) compared to uninfected women (19%).

Both femoral neck BMD and lumbar spine BMD were reduced in HIV infected
women. Femoral neck BMD was 1.01 g/cm in HIV-positive women versus 1.05
in the other group; lumbar spine BMD was 1.21 versus 1.24 g/cm in
non-infected women.

The use of antiretrovirals or protease inhibitors did not seem to
affect BMD, the authors report.

In addition to HIV infection, other factors independently associated
with lower BMD in both groups were older age, non-black race, and lower
body weight.

Clin Infect Dis 2006;42:1014-1020.