Appetite loss afflicts many patients with AIDS

Of 589 evaluable adults with HIV/AIDS in the Nutrition for Healthy Living study, nearly half (44%) reported reduced appetite at baseline.¹⁴

The Nutrition for Healthy Living study is a longitudinal trial continuing for several years. The diverse cohort included 463 men and 170 women with HIV. Data above were obtained from two baseline clinic visits per participant. Visits consisted of a physical examination, weight-related measurements, and questionnaires on clinical status, physical activity, alternative health treatments, and quality of life.14

A study of 27 men with HIV published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that reduced caloric intake, not increased energy expenditure, was the primary cause of weight loss in HIV/AIDS patients.¹⁵

• Energy expenditure was not excessively high in men with HIV infection; men with HIV/AIDS who lost weight had lower total energy expenditure than men who maintained or gained weight¹⁵
  
  
• Male patients whose weight remained stable maintained adequate caloric intake¹⁵

Male HIV/AIDS patients may need

• 18 calories/pound of total body weight daily to maintain a stable weight¹⁵

• 25 calories/pound of total body weight daily to gain weight¹⁵*

* Weight gain >0.25 kg/month.

MARINOL can help

• Make it MARINOL when your HIV/AIDS patients lose their appetite and struggle to maintain their weight⁵

• MARINOL binds to receptors in the endocannabinoid system, an important pathway for controlling appetite^1-4

• MARINOL significantly increases appetite in patients with HIV/AIDS^5,6