Vitamins, Exercise May Help Metabolic Disorders

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************************************************************MEDICAL NEWS ************************************************************UNITED STATES:

"Vitamins, Exercise May Help Metabolic Disorders"AIDS Alert (05.01.04) Vol. 19; No. 5: P. 56

F. , PhD, RN, ACRN, a biobehavioral research fellow atthe University of Illinois-Chicago, spoke about HIV-related metabolicabnormalities and exercise at the 2003 Association of Nurses in AIDS Careconference held in New York City last November. "There's a decade ofresearch that shows that aerobics and weight lifting can reverse metaboliccomplications," he said. "Now, it's theoretical that it will have an impacton lipodystrophy." Small pilot studies have shown that exercise helpsdecrease triglycerides levels and may help with the reduction of centralweight gain and improve sensitivity to insulin, he added. and otherinvestigators are involved in a study addressing those issues that will lookat a combination of aerobic and weight-lifting exercises.

Also, according to Alina Gavrila, MD, a clinical researcher at BethIsrael Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, a recent observational studyfound a significant association between serum triglycerides levels andexercise in HIV-positive patients. "It's a negative association," Gavrilasaid, "meaning the patients who exercise more had lower levels oftriglycerides and less insulin resistance." The researchers also found thatparticipants taking vitamin E supplements had lower blood pressure. Thatstudy, "Exercise and Vitamin E Intake Are Independently Associated withMetabolic Abnormalities in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Subjects: ACross-Sectional Study," appeared in Clinical Infectious Diseases(2003;36(12):1593-1601).

said that at the very least, exercise appears to have apositive impact on HIV patients with metabolic disorders, noting thatexercise increases energy and helps people feel better about themselves."And to a certain extent," said, "there is evidence that exercisedoes promote a more competent immune system." Also, weight lifting buildsmuscle mass in the arms and legs and improves the body's appearance, whichin turn provides a psychological boost to HIV patients, he noted.

said that even if clinical tests showed no significant impacton lipodystrophy and HIV-related metabolic disorders, it would still be agood idea for clinicians to recommend both aerobic and weight-liftingexercises for patients for whom it is physically possible.

"Basically, there are two mechanisms at work: With endurance exerciseor aerobic exercise, you are increasing the oxidated rate, including themetabolism - the oxidating profile of cells," explained. "Weightlifting, on the other hand, probably has the most significant effect on theinsulin resistance because when you increase muscle mass, you increase theamount of muscle that is available to transport glucose into."

Clinicians who recommend exercise to HIV patients might give them theachievable goal of engaging in aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes, three orfour days a week, and performing muscle group repetitions in sets of 10,twice a week, according to . "Everyone should be exercising, andpeople with HIV are no exception," he added.