title: Self-reported body fat change in HIV-infected men is a marker of decline in physical health-related quality of life with aging, independent of co-morbidity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-perception of changes in body fat among HIV+ persons is associated with decreased health related quality of life in cross-sectional studies. The longitudinal impact of body fat changes on health related quality of life, while accounting for comorbidity and anatomic location or severity of body fat changes, is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a longitudinal analysis of HIV+ and HIV- Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) participants who completed questionnaires assessing self-perceived body fat changes (baseline visit) and a health related quality of life (Short Form-36) at baseline and then ≥5 years later.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relationships between body fat changes and change in Short Form-36 Physical and Mental Component Summary scores were investigated using mixed-model regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 270 HIV+ and 247 HIV- men. At baseline, ≥50% of HIV+ men reported body fat changes; physical component but not mental component summary scores were lower among HIV+ men who reported moderate/severe leg or abdominal fat changes (p<0.05). At follow-up, physical component summary scores were significantly lower among men with face, leg, or abdominal fat changes compared to men without perceived fat changes (p<0.05). No significant changes were seen in mental component scores by fat change location or severity. In the final model, body fat changes at any site or severity were significant predictors of a decline in physical component summary score (p<0.05), independent of demographics or comorbidities. Mental component summary score was not associated with body fat changes, but higher mental component summary score was associated with increasing age and time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Negative self-perceived body fat changes were associated with decline in physical health related quality of life, independent of comorbidities, and may be a marker of an increased risk for physical function decline with aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Divisions of Infectious Diseases & Geriatric Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kristine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Erlandson
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Palella
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of HIV Medicine, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Torrance, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mallory D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kingsley
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Todd T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plankey
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D015897:Comorbidity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report