The effects of a diet formulation with oats, soybeans, and flax on lipid profiles and uricemia in patients with AIDS and dyslipidemia

Although the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is accompanied by an attenuation of viral load, metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and lipodystrophy are often observed in patients under this treatment. Certain foods, such as oat bran, soy protein, and flaxseed, have been shown to improve a patient’s lipid profile despite possible increases in uricemia. Thus, a bioactive compound was formulated using these foods to help patients with HIV/ AIDS control metabolic disorders resulting from HAART. An uncontrolled before and after study was performed. The total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and uric acid before and after 3 months of consuming the formulation were compared in patients. The compound was formulated such that 40g (the recommended daily intake) contained approximately 10g of flaxseed, 20g of oat bran, and 10g of textured soy protein. Results to The study population consisted of 139 patients, 31 of whom were included in the final analysis. There were no significant variations between the laboratory results obtained before and after consumption of the compound. The regular consumption of the formulation together with individualized dietary guidance did not reduce lipid levels and did not contribute to an increase in uricemia in the study group. However, new studies with higher doses of the foods that compose the formulation should be encouraged to investigate whether these foods can positively influence the lipid profiles of these patients. (Authors abstract)
The nutritional approach plays a critical role in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients. A healthy diet increases the levels of cluster of differentiation 4 plus (CD4 plus) lymphocytes, enhances intestinal absorption, and reduces complications caused by diarrhea, muscle loss, lipodystrophy, and any other symptoms that, in one way or another, may be reversed or minimized by a balanced diet. Foods such as oat bran, soy protein, and flaxseeds improve the lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic individuals. The present study investigated whether such a formulation would influence the lipid profile of HAART treated AIDS patients with dyslipidemia, without causing uricemia, as compounds containing soy and grains typically have hyperuricemic effects.

The regular consumption of a formulation containing oat bran, soy protein and flax seed for 3 months together with individualized dietary guidance did not reduce the lipid levels of the patients; however, it did not contribute to an increase in uricemia. The small number of participants and their heterogeneity, either related to the classes of dyslipidemia or to the type of drugs that they were using, may have limited the investigation of the compound’s effect by interfering with the detection power of the statistical tests. Before the consumption of the compound, the patients using PIs had higher triglyceride and uric acid values than the patients not using PIs, and this was observed for triglycerides and total cholesterol following the intervention. However, within the same group, there was neither a reduction in lipids nor an increase in uric acid after the intervention.

The regular consumption (for 3 months) of oat bran, textured soy protein, and ground flaxseed together with the individualized dietary guidance did not reduce lipid levels; however, the compound did not contribute to increased uricemia in the study group.  When the results were stratified according to the antiretroviral scheme of the patients, those using PIs showed higher triglyceride and total cholesterol values after the consumption of the compound compared to those who did not use PIs.  This occurrence is most likely due to the strong impact of PIs on the lipid metabolism of these patients. (Editors comments)