AEGiS-GMHC: TREATMENT BRIEFS: Nutrients May Reduce Progression to AIDS

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

TREATMENT BRIEFS: Nutrients May Reduce Progression to AIDS

Gay Men's Health Crisis: Treatment Issues, Volume 7 no. 9 - October, 1993
David Gold

A study followed 296 HIV-positive men over a six-year period and found that intake of certain nutrients was associated with reduced risk of progression to AIDS (Journal of AIDS, 1993; 6:949-958). This nonrandomized, observational study followed the cohort's intake of nutrients through questionnaires and observed whether they progressed to AIDS. The study did not directly compare different nutrient regimens. The authors state that the study group consisted of "well-nourished, well-educated HIV-seropositive homosexual and bisexual men." They conclude "the risk of AIDS decreased as consumption increased" for all nutrients examined -- i.e. vitamin A, carotene, retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, iron, and zinc. Higher intake of these nutrients was also associated with a higher CD4 cell count at baseline. Iron, vitamin E, and riboflavin reduced the risk of progression to statistically significant levels. Vitamin C, thiamine and niacin approached statistical significance. Higher intake of vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin E, retinol and thiamine was associated with having more than 500 CD4 cells at baseline. However, when differences in baseline CD4 counts were controlled in the analysis, progression to AIDS became non-significant in this cohort.

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