Bone and muscle frailty is twice as common in middle-aged and elderly men living with HIV as HIV-negative men, says a report in the June issue journal AIDS.
Conducted by the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, research involved 399 men, 200 HIV-negative and 199 HIV-positive. All men were between the ages of 50 and 69. All HIV-positive men were med compliant and had normal CD4 counts.
The study showed prevalence of frailty in HIV-positive men versus in prevalence of frailty in HIV negative men at 16 percent and eight percent, respectively.
Many researchers have christened frailty “The Silent Epidemic.” It causes exhaustion, slow speed and physical weakness. It can greatly impact one’s ability to carry out everyday tasks.
Risk factors don’t vary by HIV status, and they include abdominal obesity, loss of skeletal mass and osteoporosis.
According to the study, frailty is seven times more prevalent in HIV-positive men with larger waistlines than those with smaller waistlines. Watching your weight, taking vitamin D tablets and eating mindfully are helpful in prevention and management.
Read more here: https://www.hivplusmag.com/treatment/2018/6/20/bone-and-muscle-frailty-twice-prevalent-men-living-hiv