Abstract
To evaluate the impact of lipodystrophy syndrome on the quality of life (QoL) of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The Sociodemographic and Clinical Health Characterization Form for PLWHA, Quality of Life Assessment Scale, and Self-Perceived Body Changes Questionnaire were administered to subjects with a confirmed diagnosis of HIV infection, receiving antiretroviral therapy for ≥ 6 months. Facial examination was performed to obtain Facial Lipoatrophy Index (FLI). The Student's t-test and chi-squared test were applied using a significance level of 5%. Of the 95 subjects, 77.89% were male, 62.11% identified as homosexual, and 52.63% were < 40 years. Seventy-three (76.84%) subjects reported having noticed body changes, mainly in the abdominal region (71.23%), and waist (54.79%). FLI revealed a mild degree of facial lipoatrophy in 91.58% of subjects, moderate in 7.37%, and severe in 1.05%. The mean QoL was 72.01. The domains of life satisfaction, medication concerns, and acceptance of HIV revealed lower scores in subjects who self-perceived body changes (p < 0.05) than in those who did not. The objectively assessed degree of loss in facial volume did not significantly affect QoL. PLWHA exhibited low QoL, which was even more significant among those who presented with lipodystrophy associated with the use of antiretrovirals.