Nutritional Interventions in HIV/AIDS Management
Summary
Nutritional interventions are critical adjuncts to antiretroviral therapy in HIV/AIDS management, addressing the synergistic relationship between malnutrition and immune dysfunction. Adequate intake of macronutrients and micronutrients supports immune recovery, improves clinical outcomes and enhances quality of life for people living with HIV. Malnutrition is prevalent in both resource-limited and high-income settings, manifesting as undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies or, increasingly, overweight and obesity. Interventions range from food supplementation and therapeutic foods to tailored micronutrient regimens and measures to reduce food insecurity. Effective programmes integrate dietary assessment, supplementation and social support, recognising the importance of cultural context, healthcare access and opportunistic infection management. Globally, a combination of universal and targeted strategies has demonstrated benefits in weight gain, immune function and treatment adherence, informing guidelines to incorporate nutrition into comprehensive HIV care.
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Nutritional Interventions in HIV/AIDS Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutritional interventions in hiv/aids management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Antiretroviral therapy (ART): The use of combined antiretroviral drugs to suppress HIV replication and improve immune function.
Micronutrients: Essential vitamins and minerals required in small quantities to support metabolic processes and immune responses.
Ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF): Nutrient-dense, shelf-stable food packets providing energy and micronutrients for malnourished individuals.
Body mass index (BMI): A measure of weight relative to height used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity.
CD4 count: The number of CD4 T-lymphocytes per microlitre of blood, a key indicator of immune system health in HIV infection.
References
- Prevalence of Micronutrient Deficiency among People Living with HIV in Selected Rural Districts of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Nutrients (2023).
- Effect of ready-to-use supplementary food on mortality in severely immunocompromised HIV-infected individuals in Africa initiating antiretroviral therapy (REALITY): an open-label, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet HIV (2018).
- Effects on mortality of a nutritional intervention for malnourished HIV-infected adults referred for antiretroviral therapy: a randomised controlled trial. BMC Medicine (2015).
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