General Nutritional Requirement for patients with HIV - talk given in Maseru

This presentation looks at:

• Nutrition and immune function
• Role of nutrition in management of HIV
• Proposed future presentations

The notes section of the slides will provide you with further information about the slide especially the slide on Nutritional Support

Nutritional Support for AIDS patients
The rationale for providing nutritional support to AIDS patients is based upon the assumptions that nutrition status can be improved, Such improvements may have clinical benefits. While obviously true in selected cases, few published studies have been done to support these assumptions. No generally accepted standard of care exists for nutrition and HIV infection. However, several general recommendations can be made in the absence of such a standard.

Ideally, nutritional considerations should start at the time of diagnosis of HIV infection. Patient education should be an early priority and focus on the prevention of malnutrition and food safety. There is great variation of nutritional requirements and modes of feeding in HIV infection It is prudent for any dietary regimen to provide at least the RDA for all nutrients, and 3 to 4 times the RDA for vitamins and minerals.

The recommended diet for HIV is not different from that required for healthy individuals. The amount of protein required, in the absence of secondary infection, is 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg of ideal body weight or usual body weight, and amounts above this level, to approximately 2 g/kg, may be helpful. Exact requirements of carbohydrates and fats are unknown.

Several studies have demonstrated that clinically stable patients have normal caloric intake.
In practice, patients with late stage disease often are counseled to maximize protein intake and to show restraint in fat intake.