How best to approach endocrine evaluation in patients with HIV in the era of combined antiretroviral therapy?

Endocrine and metabolic dysfunction has been documented throughout the history of clinical experience with HIV and AIDS. Opportunistic infections such as CMV and TB adrenalitis, tumours affecting endocrine organs, and cachexia and wasting can still be seen, particulary in severely immunocompromised individuals who may be noncompliant with, resistant to, or without access to effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, in those with good control of their HIV infection, the profile of endocrinopathy in HIV has largely changed with the advent of highly effective combination ART. The problems that we now more frequently see in people living for many years with low viral loads and good CD4 counts relate to side effects or interactions of therapy. These included adverse metabolic effects of antiretrovirals, most notably dyslipidaemia and lipodystrophy with protease inhibitors, drug-drug interactions, including marked CYP3A4 inhibition with protease inhibitors and autoimmune endocrinopathy as part of an immune reconstitution syndrome after initiation of antiretrovirals. In addition, chronic endocrine and metabolic disorders, including hypogonadism and osteoporosis, occur at higher levels than in the background population, associated with chronic illness, lower body weight and use of both prescribed and nonprescribed drugs.