The etiology of wasting in the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Wasting is a debilitating complication of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The etiology of wasting in HIV/AIDS is complex and its origins are multifactorial. Both patterns of simple starvation and the more complex metabolic and endocrine alterations associated with stress and trauma have been described in patients with the AIDS wasting syndrome. Observations suggest that the pathophysiology of the wasting in individual patients with HIV/AIDS may vary according to the primary cause of wasting and underlying disease activity. Optimal treatment of the AIDS wasting syndrome will depend on a thorough evaluation of all possible contributing factors. This review addresses the pathophysiologic basis of weight loss in HIV/AIDS, based on the current literature.