The introduction of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) - antiretroviral therapy highly active has deeply changed the course of HIV infection with increase in survival and improvement in quality of life as well as partial restoration of the immune system. After about ten years from the HAART use, the effects of combination treatment / virus started to come out. Among these, we can mention changes in lipid metabolism with hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and redistribution of body fat as risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Observational studies with people living with HIV / AIDS evidence that when an individual finds out that he/she is an HIV/AIDS patient, he/she end ups feeling fear or shame, reducing hence social circle, work and leisure activities, and becomes isolated at home or in small groups which have common identity of HIV / AIDS patients. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the relationship between the level of habitual physical activity and recreation of people living with HIV / AIDS and its relation with metabolic changes. The patients were classified into active and sedentary, using the Habitual Physical Activity questionnaire proposed by Baecke and validated for HIV / AIDS patients. Classification was conducted according to the recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine. Metabolism was assessed through plasma levels of glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, using commercial kits. The sample consisted of 65 HIV patients who used HAART for at least five years. 64.6% were classified as sedentary and 35.4% as active. The study shows a direct relationship between physical activity level and higher levels of HDL - cholesterol in HIV / AIDS. HDL - Cholesterol is a lipoprotein of cardiovascular protection and, although other assessed parameters have not shown difference, these results highlight the need for additional studies on risk factors and physical activity for HIV / AIDS enabling proposals for specific interventions for these patients.
HIV; physical activity; metabolism
