HIV is usually associated with weight loss, but the prevalence of obesity among women living with the virus is rising, a new study shows. The study conducted in Nairobi shows women taking ARV drugs are more predisposed to unhealthy weight gain, while men are exposed to hypertension — among other chronic conditions. The study — Hypertension and Obesity among HIV Patients in a Care Programme in Nairobi — examined 3,197 people. The study, ‘Increasing Obesity in Treated Female HIV Patients from Sub-Saharan Africa’, was set in a London tertiary hospital HIV clinic, but shows women of African origin were most vulnerable to unhealthy weight gain. “Seropositive African women on antiretroviral treatment are at heightened risk of obesity.

Source: The Star September 11, 2017 21:33 UTC