Nutritional care and eating habits of people living with HIV

The relationships between nutritional status, infectious diseases, and the immune system suggest that nutrition is an indisputable cofactor in the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. One of the main complications of HIV infection is multifactorial malnutrition, however, overweight and obesity have become more frequent. A specialized nutritional intervention should be an integral part of routine medical care for people living with HIV. It has been shown that the incidence of wasting syndrome and critical malnutrition among people living with HIV has significantly decreased simultaneously with the side effects of modern antiretroviral drugs. The side effects of modern antiretroviral therapy are much less common than previous generations of drugs. On the other hand, the prevalence of obesity and other chronic diseases associated with it has increased significantly among people living with HIV. The practical part describes and evaluates the monitoring of eating habits of 10 people living with HIV. The aim of this work was to provide a summary of information about proper nutritional care for this population, to evaluate the eating habits of the respondents and to come up with a potentional nutritional intervention and education. Lack of macro and micronutrients and poor eating..