Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and body mass index (BMI) relationship in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria and the neighbouring states

Abstract

This study was set to establish the relationship between highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) 
and body mass index (BMI) in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the Federal Capital Territory 
(FCT) and the neighbouring states within Nigeria- a representative data for sub-Sahara Africa. The study 
made use of 3 groupings: 44 healthy individuals, 79 HAART-treated HIV (human immuno deficiency 
syndrome) infected individuals and 21 non-HAART treated HIV-infected individuals from a pool of 402 
subjects and age, weight and height were documented and statistically analyzed (Graph Pad, Prism 3). 
The result showed that significant weight loss was typified by low BMI values (<20) presented in non
HAART HIV-infected subjects. The trend of BMI cum weight loss in HIV infected subjects follows the 
order: non-HAART PLWHA > HAART treated PLWHA > healthy subjects. It was found that weight loss 
and consequently low BMI is not gender-dependent in HAART and non-HAART subjects.