CHANGES IN WEIGHT AND FAT-FREE MASS IN MEN ON GONADAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY 309

Weight loss in common with chronic infection like AIDS. AIDS is characterized by an accelerated loss of fat-free mass (FFM) compared to fat. The purpose of this study was to determine if gonadal hormone replacement therapy (GHRT) would improve the FFM of HIV+ men. FFM was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry(DXA), bio-impedance spectroscopy (BIS) and deuterium oxide (D2O) dilution. Eight men enrolled in the study and resided on a metabolic ward for 18 d (baseline) followed by 12wk of out-patient treatment with 200 mg/bi-wk nandrolone decanoate injected IM. FFM measurements were made at baseline, 6 wk & 12 wk. Group means (std) and ANOVA results are shown in Table 1 for the eight men completing all phases of the study. Significant differences were observed among methods during baseline and 6wk testing but no differences after 12wk of treatment. Relative increases in WT and FFM were 6.7% and 4.7% - 9.4%, respectively. Previous research has shown these methods to be accurate, however, the cause for these differences is unknown. Possibilities may be the wasted condition and gonadal hormone status of the men at the start of the study altered fluid status; thus accounting for some of the difference between BIS, DXA, and D2O. More work is needed to understand what and how clinical conditions influence the accuracy of these methods.