HIV-patients gain weight and muscle mass with steroids

People who are suffering from the dreaded HIV-virus and making use of anabolic steroids to prevent AIDS wasting tend to gain modest gains in terms of muscle mass and weight, according to a new review. Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances like to the masculine sex hormone testosterone that promote growth of skeletal muscle and the development of man sex characteristics. Although most recently in the news for their misuse by professional athletes, anabolic steroids have valid medical application for men with low testosterone and people with certain types of anemia. Two anabolic steroids available in the United States, nandrolone decanoate and oxandrolone, have been used to help increase weight and muscle mass in small studies of people with wasting. Conversely, anabolic steroid use has been associated with increased rates of HIV in those who share needles or use nonsterile needles when they inject steroids.

We were unable to assess these risks in our review due to the small duration of treatment in the studies. It is worth nothing that AIDS wasting results in considerable loss of cadaver weight in HIV-patients apart from muscle loss. It stems from human body’s inability to promote muscle growth and testosterone levels, which can be effectively handled with anabolic steroids.

AIDS wasting syndrome (cachexia) is a condition associated with advanced HIV disease. It involves overall weight loss, but more importantly, the loss of lean body mass, or muscle, which sometimes may be replaced by fat. Weight loss results from a number of factors, alone or in combination, including lack of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, oral problems that build eating hard, and problems related to intestinal absorption and use of nutrients. The condition was much more prevalent in the developed world before alliance antiretroviral remedy became available.

A correct diagnosis and the proper intervention for each individual are as important in treating AIDS wasting as they are for any other medical problem. Early intervention is often most successful, and a variety of effective and relatively inexpensive tools (such as nutritional supplements, appetite stimulants, and exercise) can be used. HGH is not a universal remedy for treating AIDS wasting. While it can have a dramatically beneficial effect in some individuals (presumably those with a deficiency of natural hGH), the majority may see no benefit. The current hGH regimen for AIDS wasting consists of a daily injection administered at bedtime to mimic the normal cycle of growth hormone release into the bloodstream. The portion is 4-6 mg, based upon body weight. HGH alone is likely to result in weight gain that is primarily overweight, while adding a regimen of resistance exercise, such as weight training, can help build lean cadaver mass.