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Lipodystrophy in HIV-infected patients who receive antiretroviral therapy has been widely described; however, the incidence of this syndrome, its underlying pathophysiology, and the risk factors associated with its development remain unclear. Investigators from the HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS) recently published the results of a prospective analysis of the risk factors associated with the development of lipoatrophy -- the most common manifestation of HIV-associated lipodystrophy -- in this cohort of patients from 8 urban HIV clinics in the U.S.
For the baseline survey, 1077 patients seen in the fall of 1998 were evaluated for evidence of lipodystrophy. The presence of lipoatrophy was decided on the basis of patient and clinician agreement, wi…