While great progress has been made in treating
HIV, awareness of some conditions has emerged as people are living longer with HIV. One of these conditions is lipodystrophy (lip-oh-dis-tro-fee) — unusual changes in the body distribution of fat.
Part of lipodystrophy is a condition called lipoatrophy (lip-oh-atro-fee).
There are several risk factors that may lead to lipoatrophy, which is fat loss under the skin that occurs in certain areas of the body. In the face, you may see sunken cheeks and hollow-looking eyes. Buttocks lose their size and shape, and arms and legs may become thin and veiny. The changes caused by lipoatrophy can be mild to severe. When lipoatrophy becomes severe, it may be difficult to reverse.
While the direct cause is unclear, certain risk factors have been associated with lipoatrophy. These may include
1,2:
- Having HIV
- HIV meds
- The number of years on HIV therapy
- CD4+ cell counts or viral load
- Older age
Also, some studies show that whites are at greater risk for developing lipoatrophy than people of other ethnicities.
1,2 However, this does not mean that people of color cannot be affected. It is important to keep in mind that lipoatrophy may be caused by many different factors.
If you are concerned about recent or long-term changes in your appearance, consider the questions below. If you answer "yes" to one or more of these questions, talk to your healthcare provider.
Lipoatrophy can make some people feel self-conscious about the way they look. However, it may be more than just skin deep. Not only can this condition affect the way you feel about yourself physically, it can also affect your emotional state as it starts to alter your body shape and change the way you look.
3
Remember, when lipoatrophy becomes severe, it may be difficult to reverse. The keys to managing lipoatrophy are education and communication with your healthcare provider. Talk to your healthcare provider so that you can keep HIV under control while feeling — and
looking — the best you can.
To learn more about lipoatrophy and other HIV-related changes to your body,
click here to download a helpful brochure, or
click here to view a detailed presentation.
- Lichtenstein KA. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2005;39:395-400.
- Behrens G, Schmidt RE. Lipodystrophy syndrome. In: HIV Medicine. 15th ed; 2007.
Available at: http://www.hivmedicine.com/textbook/ls.htm. Accessed April 1, 2008.
- Collins E, Wagner C, Walmsley S. AIDS Read. 2000;10(9):546-50.