Consumption
of Saturated Fat Linked to Elevated Triglycerides in HIV Positive People with
Metabolic Abnormalities
Saturated
fats are found in animal products such as butter, cheese, whole milk, ice
cream, and oils such as coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil.
Elevated
blood fat levels are a recognized complication
in HIV positive individuals, though there is conflicting data regarding their
association with specific antiretroviral
drugs. Elevated blood lipids are a concern since they may increase the risk
of cardiovascular disease.
Among
HIV negative individuals, elevated blood fat levels have been linked to consumption
of dietary fat. As reported in the July 31, 2007, issue of AIDS, researchers
at Massachusetts GeneralHospital in Boston
conducted a study to evaluate dietary fat intake and its relationship to lipid
parameters in HIV-infected patients with metabolic abnormalities.
The
authors prospectively determined the dietary intake (based on 4-day food records
or 24-hour recall) of 356 HIV positive patients and 162 HIV negative control subjects
evaluated for metabolic studies between 1998 and 2005.
Differences
in dietary intake between the HIV positive and HIV negative participants were
determined, in relation to the established 2005 United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Recommended Dietary Guidelines.
In the HIV positive subjects, the relationship between dietary fat intake and
serum lipid levels was also assessed.
Results
·The
HIV positive patients demonstrated increased intake of total dietary fat (P <
0.05), saturated fat (P = 0.006), and cholesterol (P = 0.006) relative to the
HIV negative subjects.
·The HIV
positive patients also derived a greater percentage of total calories from saturated
fat (P = 0.002) and from trans fat (P = 0.02), despite
similar overall caloric intake.
·A significantly
higher percentage of HIV positive patients were above the 2005 USDA Recommended
Dietary Guidelines, compared with the
HIV negative subjects:
ofor saturated
fat (> 10% per day): 76.0% vs 60.9%, respectively
(P = 0.003);
ofor cholesterol (> 300 mg per day): 49.7% vs
37.9%, respectively (P = 0.04).
·Among HIV
positive individuals, saturated fat intake was strongly associated with triglyceride
levels (triglyceride levels increased 8.7 mg/dl per gram of increased saturated
fat intake; P = 0.005).
·However,
total dietary fat consumption was inversely associated with triglyceride levels
(triglyceride level decreased 3.0 mg/dl per gram of increased total fat intake;
P = 0.02)
Conclusion
“Increased
intake of saturated fat is seen and contributes to hypertriglyceridemia
among HIV-infected patients who have developed metabolic abnormalities,” the authors
wrote. “Increased saturated fat intake should be targeted for dietary modification
in this population.”
Massachusetts GeneralHospital and HarvardMedicalSchool,
Boston, MA; National
Institutes of Health, Bethesda,
MD.
08/17/07
Reference
Joy, HM Keogh, C Hadigan, and others.Dietary fat intake and relationship to serum lipid levels
in HIV-infected patients with metabolic abnormalities in the HAART era.AIDS 21(12): 1591-1600. July 31, 2007.
