Weight loss after the first year of stavudine-containing antiretroviral therapy and its association with lipoatrophy, virological failure, adherence and CD4 counts at primary health care level in Kigali, Rwanda.

This study was conducted among 609 adults on stavudine-based antiretroviral treatment (ART) for at least one year at health center level in Kigali, Rwanda to (a) determine the proportion who manifest weight loss after one year of ART (b) examine the association between such weight loss and a number of variables, namely: lipoatrophy, virological failure, adherence and on-treatment CD4 count and (c) assess the validity and predictive values of weight loss to identify patients with lipoatrophy. Weight loss after the first year of ART was seen in 62% of all patients (median weight loss 3.1 kg/year). In multivariate analysis, weight loss was significantly associated with treatment-limiting lipoatrophy (adjusted effect/kg/year -2.0 kg, 95% confidence interval -0.6;-3.4 kg; P