TOPLINE: 

People living with HIV (PLWH) who experienced ≥ 5% weight gain while on antiretroviral therapy (ART) showed significantly lower health-related quality-of-life scores across all domains — but better medication adherence — than those with < 5% weight gain.

METHODOLOGY: 

• Researchers conducted a retrospective observational study in the US to characterize weight gain over 12 months and its association with health-related quality of life and ART adherence among PLWH.
• The study included 225 virologically suppressed individuals with a physician-confirmed HIV diagnosis who were prescribed ART (mean age, 44.7 years; 73.8% cisgender men; 57.8% White), of whom 54 experienced ≥ 5% weight gain and 171 experienced < 5% weight gain.
• Health-related quality of life was assessed using a validated scale that measured the impact of weight on quality of life (physical and psychosocial domains) , and treatment adherence was evaluated using a medication adherence questionnaire among PLWH with ≥ 5% or < 5% weight gain.

TAKEAWAY:

• PLWH with ≥ 5% weight gain had a significantly higher average comorbidity score than those with < 5% gain (P = .032), with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and anxiety being the most common comorbidities. Additionally, sleep medications were more often prescribed in the ≥ 5% weight gain group than in the < 5% weight gain group (P = .009).
• PLWH with ≥ 5% weight gain had significantly lower overall health-related quality-of-life scores than those with < 5% weight gain (mean score, 65.6 vs 74.4; P < .001), indicating a reduced quality of life across all measured domains over 12 months.
• Treatment adherence scores were significantly better in those with ≥ 5% weight gain than in those with < 5% weight gain (mean scores, 0.29 vs 0.37; P = .006), with lower scores indicating better adherence.

IN PRACTICE:

"The findings in this study underscore the critical importance of monitoring weight and considering weight management into account when managing PLWH, including the selection of appropriate ART options," the authors wrote. 

SOURCE:

The study was led by Bekana K. Tadese, PhD, MPH, of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey. It was published online on July 29, 2025, in AIDS Care.

LIMITATIONS: 

The cross-sectional design of the study limited the ability to establish a causal relationship between weight gain and treatment adherence. The predominantly male population restricted the assessment of gender-related differences in the impact of weight gain. Additionally, the analysis did not account for specific antiretroviral regimens at the time of data collection or control for unmeasured confounding factors.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was funded by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Some authors disclosed employment with Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, whereas others were employed by Adelphi Real World, which was contracted by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC to conduct the analysis.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.