Short term impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on nutritional status and quality of life (QOL) of retropositive patients

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is usually associated with adverse health outcomes in terms of poor nutritional status and impaired quality of life (QOL) often leading to marked morbidity and mortality. Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) can have a major impact on the overall well-being of HIV-inflicted patients helping them to live a functionally independent life. Aim: The purpose of our study was to determine the short-term impact of ART on the QOL and nutritional status of retropositive patients. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in the Department of General Medicine, Functionally Integrated Anti-retroviral Therapy (FIART) area on 60 ART-naive retropositive patients who were assessed for improvement in nutritional status and QOL domains after 3 months of ART. Results: The patients were assessed before and after the initiation of therapy and showed improvement in the anthropometric parameters along with improvement in the QOL which was assessed using the six domains using the World Health Organization (WHO) questionnaire. Both the parameters were compared on the basis of gender, education, and socioeconomic class. Male patients with higher education and those belonging to higher socioeconomic strata showed better improvement as compared to others. Conclusion: Improvements in the nutrition and QOL are visible even in the initial short-term follow-up and these are important parameters in global assessment for health and well-being in HIV/AIDS.