Lower serum adiponectin level is associated with lipodystrophy among HIV‐infected men in the Study to Understand the Natural History of HIV/AIDS in the Era of Effective Therapy (SUN) study

Objectives Adiponectin levels are inversely related to cardiovascular risk and are low in diabetics and obese persons. We examined the association between adiponectin concentration and HIV‐associated lipodystrophy, which remains unclear. Methods The Study to Understand the Natural History of HIV/AIDS in the Era of Effective Therapy (SUN) was a prospective cohort study of HIV‐infected adults conducted in four US cities. Lean body and fat masses were assessed using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry scans. Using baseline data from 2004 to 2006, we defined lipodystrophy using a sex‐specific fat mass ratio and performed cross‐sectional analyses of associated risks using multivariable logistic regression. Results Among 440 male participants (median age 42 years; 68% non‐Hispanic white; 88% prescribed combination antiretroviral therapy; median CD4 lymphocyte count 468 cells/μL; 76% with viral load