And in cases where, for some reason, the medications don t prevent the onset of illness, or if an individual starts therapy after one of the conditions has already developed, antiretrovirals make these various conditions much easier to treat. However, there are a few HIV-related systemic conditions, such as lipodystrophy , elevated cholesterol and possibly diabetes , that are actually more common with and may even be caused by antiretroviral therapy. Back to top Lipodystrophy Lipodystrophy is the abnormal distribution in body fat that occurs in people who are on antiretroviral therapy. Patients taking antiretrovirals tend to lose fat on their arms, legs, buttocks and face, and they tend to accumulate fat around the belly and breasts.
Some people develop a fat lump on the back of their neck called a buffalo hump.
It s not exactly clear what percentage of people on antiretrovirals develop lipodystrophy. The exact cause of lipodystrophy is unknown. Initially, it was believed to be a side effect of protease inhibitors. While protease inhibitors may increase the speed at which it develops, lipodystrophy still occurs in people who ve never taken protease inhibitors. There seem to be a variety of factors at play, including age, how long one s been on antiretroviral therapy, how long one s been taking nucleosides in particular, racial background, and baseline level of fat.