Sex influence in lipodystrophy of HIV-infected patients and its association with cardiovascular risk factors

To evaluate the influence of sex in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with lipodystrophy and its association with cardiovascular risk factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in HIV-infected patients aged 20 or over managed at the outpatient Infectious Disease Unit in 2003. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of HIV infection, lipodystrophy and cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated. Of the 760 patients included in the study, women comprised 28%. Men with lipodystrophy had a higher prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypoalphalipoproteinemia and hypertriglyceridemia than those without lipodystrophy. Women with lipodystrophy had a higher prevalence of central obesity and hypertriglyceridemia compared with those without lipodystrophy (22.8 vs. 11.2%, p = 0.000; 20.6 vs. 9.3%, p = 0.001; 39.7 vs. 30%, p = 0.03 y 56.6 vs. 40.9%, p = 0.0001, respectively). The lipoatrophy pattern was predominant in men (24.9 vs. 12.6%, p = 0.0001) and lipoaccumulation forms in women (12.3 vs. 22.6%, p = 0.0001). Furthermore, women were younger, had a higher prevalence of smoking, family history of premature coronary heart disease and central obesity, and a lower prevalence of hypertension and hypoalphalipoproteinemia than men with lipodystrophy (42.1 +/- 8 years vs. 44.8 +/- 9.9 years, p = 0.03; 77.5 vs. 64%, p = 0.04; 22.5 vs. 9%, p = 0.003; 31 vs. 8.5%, p = 0.0001; 9.9 vs. 22.8%, p = 0.01; 25.4 vs. 39.7%, p = 0.03). This study demonstrated that the influence of sex in lipodystrophy in HIV-infected patients affects not only the lipodystrophy pattern, but also the cardiovascular risk profile.