Contribution of nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors to subcutaneous fat wasting in patients with HIV infection

Abstract

NRTIs do have an independent contribution to fat wasting, but PI are the predominant influence and may act synergistically with NRTIs. NRTIs appear to predispose individuals to slowly progressive fat loss, which is markedly accelerated when a PI and NRTIs are combined. Of the NRTIs, stavudine leads to an earlier onset of clinically apparent fat wasting compared with zidovudine. Fat wasting associated with NRTI use may be a manifestation of mitochondrial toxicity, which may be exacerbated by PI use.