A new pooled analysis of randomised controlled clinical trials of people starting HIV treatment for the first time found that newer ARV classes were associated with greater weight gain. The findings released Wednesday during a 23rd virtual international Aids conference reveals that there are several causes of the weight gains, and some specific antiretroviral have been linked including dolutegravir-based HIV treatment. At the beginning of the study, people with HIV had a lower average body mass than HIV-negative people. The study sampled 742 people with HIV at 12 different treatment sites in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. The WHO recommended dolutegravir-based treatment as its preferred option in 2017 and strongly recommended it for all adults in 2019, encouraging all countries to update their guidelines and transition to dolutegravir-based treatment as quickly as possible.

Source: Daily Nation July 08, 2020 17:37 UTC