title: Indices of body fat distribution for assessment of lipodysthrophy in people living with HIV/AIDS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metabolic and morphological changes associated with excessive abdominal fat, after the introduction of Antiretroviral Therapy, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV/AIDS(PLWHA). Accurate methods for body composition analysis are expensive and the use of anthropometric indices is an alternative. However the investigations about this subject in PLWHA are rare, making this research very important for clinical purpose and to advance scientific knowledge. The aim of this study is to correlate results of anthropometric indices of evaluation of body fat distribution with the results obtained by Dual-energy X-Ray Absorptiometry(DEXA), in people living with HIV/AIDS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was of 67 PLWHA(39 male and 28 female), aged 43.6±7.9 years. Body mass index, conicity index, waist/hip ratio, waist/height ratio and waist/thigh were calculated. Separated by sex, each index/ratio was plotted in a scatter chart with linear regression fit and their respective Pearson correlation coefficients. Analyses were performed using Prism statistical program and significance was set at 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The waist/height ratio presented the highest correlation coefficient, for both male (r=0.80, p<0.001) and female (r=0.87, p <001), while the lowest were in the waist/thigh also for both: male group (r=0.58, p<0.001) and female group (r=0.03, p=0.86). The other indices also showed significant positive correlation with DEXA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anthropometric indices, especially waist/height ratio may be a good alternative way to be used for evaluating the distribution of fat in the abdominal region of adults living with HIV/ADIS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Univ. Estadual Paulista, Campus of Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline Francielle Mota
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Segatto
authors.forename: Ismael Forte
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Vanessa Ribeiro
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.forename: Kelly Cristina de Lima Ramos Pinto
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Dulce Aparecida
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Alexandre Martins Portelinha
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: Henrique Luiz
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Monteiro
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008060:Lipodystrophy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged